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INDIAN NOTES 
AND MONOGRAPHS 



Edited by F. W. Hodge 




A SERIES OF PUBLICA- 
TIONS RELATING TO THE 
AMERICAN ABORIGINES 



A REPORT FROM 
NATCHITOCHES IN 1807 

BY 

DR. JOHN SIBLEY 

Edited, with an Introduction, by 
ANNIE HELOISE ABEL 



NEW YORK 



MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN 
HEYE FOUNDATION 
1922 



aw 

Publish^ 

m 27 im 



I 3 



CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Introduction 5 

A Report From Natchitoches in 1807. 

by Dr ]ohn Sibley. , 11 

Notes...".... 88 

Texas Indians 93 

ILLUSTRATION 

Pl. I, A-c. Facsimile of notes by Sibley, 
chiefly on the Hietan, or , Comanche, 
appended to his Journal 102 



INDIAN NOTES 



1 


I 





INTRODUCTION 

N RECENT years and largely be- 
1 cause of the researches of Dr 
Isaac Joslin Cox, historical 
interest in old Louisiana has 
centered chiefly in early American designs 
upon the same and in the astonishing in- 
trigues of that most contemptible of mer- 
cenary beings, James Wilkinson, general- 
issimo of the United States Army. As 
usual, the interest has only very rarely and 
never more than indirectly extended itself 
sufficiently to include the affairs of the abo- 
rigines when dissociated from relations 
conditioned by their contact with the 
superior race. It was not before the 
appearance of Professor Bolton's Athanase 
de Mezieres that ever so slight a suggestion 
of the importance of a knowledge of the once 
numerous Southern tribes in and for them- 
selves was communicated to students of 
American history. The journal here edited 



INDIAN NOTES 



6 


NATCHITOCHES 




is a meager contribution to the source 
material now in demand. 

The author of the journal was Dr John 
Sibley, who, for a considerable period sub- 
sequent to 1803, was in a position to know 
more probably than did any other man of 
the time concerning the Indians who dwelt 
around about Natchitoches, 1 a frontier 
post on Red river established by Saint 
Denis in the second decade of the eight- 
eenth century, and most strategically im- 
portant in the beginning of the succeeding 
century because it commanded the approach 
to Texas. 

Needless to say, Dr Sibley was not a 
native of the region where circumstances 
later placed him officially. He was a New 
Englander, having been born at Sutton. 
Massachusetts, in 1757. 2 He studied medi- 
cine and, like his father, Timothy Sibley, 
identified himself with the "patriots" of 
the American Revolution, 3 he being a 
surgeon's mate. 4 Independence once se- 
cured and peace restored, John Sibley re- 
sumed his profession and opened a practice 
at Great Barrington, whither he seems to 




INDIAN NOTES 



INTRODUCTION 


7 


have removed previous to Cornwall is' sur 
render at Yorktown. At Great Barrington 
he met and married Elizabeth Hopkins 
daughter of the Reverend Samuel Hopkins;' 
but his life with her was not of the happiest, 
and about 1784 he left New England alto- 
gether and went south to Fayetteville, North 
Carolina. 6 There in the Cape Fear country 
the surroundings were eminently congenial 
to one of Sibley's temperament, and there 
what was to be his absorbing interest in the 
frontier had excellent chance to develop. 
Yet Sibley did not make Fayetteville his 
permanent home. Report has it that the 
story of his domestic infelicities followed 
him thither and when he would have 
obliterated the past by re-marriage 7 — a 
bigamous offence under the circumstances- 
— he found that not even backwoodsmen 
of the Joseph Martin type, 8 of the stuff of 
which Regulators* are on occasion made, 
would tolerate violation of the customary 
law. Made uncomfortable by his neigh- 
bors or urged by some equally cogent 
reason, Sibley found it convenient to 
migrate again. He wandered into Loui- 




AND MONOGRAPHS 





8 


NATCHITOCHES 




siana, arriving there the year of, but some 
little time antecedent to, its transfer to the 
United States. 10 

The move was opportune. Sibley be- 
came known to Governor Claiborne and 
through him to President Jefferson with 
whose opinion as to the larger limits of the 
Louisiana cession his own coincided. 11 
By letter of March 20, 1804, he put himself 
at Jefferson's disposal, with the result that 
he was appointed "surgeon's mate for the 
troops stationed at Natchitoches, and later 
as Indian agent for Orleans Territory and 
the region south of the Arkansas." 12 The 
instructions 13 sent to him by Secretary 
Dearborn in connection with the latter 
appointment indicate the eagerness with 
which the American government was 
seeking intimate acquaintance with its 
new possession, and likewise with Indians 
outside its recognized bounds. In secur- 
ing such information, Sibley had al- 
ready proved himself highly efficient; for, 
besides furnishing Claiborne and others with 
geographical and - ethnological data, 14 he 
had prepared and forwarded to the Depart- 




INDIAN NOTES 



INTRODUCTION 


9 


ment of War two reports of considerable 
value, one known as Historical Sketches, 15 
the other an account of Red River, 16 based 
on explorations that he had made himself 
and on information gleaned from his assist- 
ant, Francis Grappe. 17 

The present journal is in the nature of a 
supplement 18 to the Historical Sketches. 
Of similar ethnological interest, it has an 
added claim on the student's attention; for 
it reflects southern life in a first contact 
with aborigines, and records the daily 
trivial happenings of a frontier post. More- 
over, it has incidental references to con- 
temporary explorers, particularly to that 
most elusive of them, Zebulon Pike, that 
are not without value. It has until now 
remained in obscurity, because, at the time 
of its arrival in Washington, it passed into 
the possession of the Treasury Department 
and was there buried. In 1905 it was re- 
discovered and transmitted 19 to the Indian 
Office, where it now reposes. 

Annie Heloise Abel. 




AND MONOGRAPHS 





I ] 



A REPORT FROM NATCHI- 
TOCHES IN 1807 

An abstract from the Records of John 
Sibley esq/ Indian Agent in the Territory 
of Orleans for the Year 1807 Relative to Indian 
Affairs. 



TWO Caddo Indians arriv'd here 
on Business at the factory & 
report that a party of their Na- 
tion have been on a friendly visit 
and to trade with the Panis and were on 
their return home Rob'd of Seventy two 
Horses by a party of Ozages, and left 
on foot about 200 Miles from home with 
Considerable quanty of Baggage, Consist- 
ing Principally of Buffalo Robes, they sent 
a runner to inform the Chief of their 
Situation, who immediately sat off with all 
the Horses he could Muster to their relief, 
and that soon after he left home his (the 
Chiefs) House Caught fire and Burnt up 



Jany 5" 



INDIAN NOTES 



12 


NATCHITOCHES 


13" 


with a quantity of corn and Other Valuable 

property. 

Same day I gave an Aiche woman a 
Shawl for attending and giving me a 
Vocabulary 20 of the Aiche Language. 
Cap 1 John Burnett Presented himselfe 
and made Oath that a Creek or Conchetta 
Indian Commonly called Tom was killed at 
the Salt works in the vicinity of Natchitoches 
on Saturday the 10" Ins by a Man by the 
Name of Samuel Watson, a dispute took 
place between Watson & the Indian. Tom 
the Indian went & got a knife and say'd he 
would Kill Watson and was advancing to- 
wards him with the knife in his hand, 
Watson endeavour'd to Avoid him, but 
Could not, a Boat was taking in Salt. 
Watson went on Board of the Boat, 
Caught a Loaded Gun, the Indian Still 
Advancing. Watson discharged the Gun at 
him & killed him Instantly, they being but 
a few feet apart, in presence of Several 
Persons. Watson went Again on Board of 
the Boat Loaded the Gun Again & went 
Awav thp SViprrif was lmmediatelv dis- 
patch'd to Apprehend him, but Could not 




INDIAN NOTES 



CADDOS ARRIVE 


13 


find him, I Sent two Indians after the Rela- 
tions of Tom to bring them in that I might 
explain to them the Circumstances, before 
from any false impressions they might 
Attempt Retaliation, and wrote to Gov r 
Claiborne requesting [page 2] his Excellency 
would be pleas'd to Issue a Proclamation 
for the apprehention of Watson. Watson is 
about five feet 10 Inches high, about 24 
years of Age, late from Warren County in 
Kentucky, has light blue eyes, light Com- 
plexion, Short hair and is Somewhat Stoop 
Shouldered. 

Arriv'd a Party of Caddos to trade, who 
say all is quiet with them and with 
their friends the Panis; but Complain that 
Game is Scarse from their being no 
Acorns, the loss of so many Horses pre- 
vented their going into the Praries after 
Buffalo, they have heard Nothing of 
'Mes rs Lewis, 21 Alexander & Party who 
Sat off for the Panis Nation in Dec r last, 
Since they passed their Village. — I gave 
Cut finger, who is a particular friend & 

and had made for him a Blue half Regi- 


1807 

Feby 21" 


AND MONOGRAPHS 





14 


NATCHITOCHES 


26" 

March 18' 


mental frock Coat which I presented him 
with, he was particularly friendly & atten- 
tive to Major Freemans 22 exploring Party. 
Two Caddos Came to trade, report Nothing 
Extraordinary; I Gave them Provisions & 
bought of the factor 23 two Brass Kittles 
to keep to lend to Indians who Come in 
On business from a distance and bring no 
Cooking Utensils with them. 
The Uncle & brother of Tom the Indian 
who was killed at the Saline Arriv'd. I 
informed them of the Circumstances so far 
as I knew them, that Watson had fled and 
that all due pains had been Taken to Appre- 
hend him, and if he could be Caught he 
would be brought to trial & if found Guilty 
would be punish 'd Agreable to Our Laws, 
and that Our Gov* would always afford 
them protection & we were as ready to 
render them Justice as to demand it of 
them, we would punish an Injury done to 
them as soon as to a White Man; but by our 
Laws the Innocent was never to suffer 
for the Guilty, they, I hop'd had Sufficient 
Confidence in the Tustire of Our Gov* as to 
Preclude in them all Idea of retaliation. 




INDIAN NOTES 



MURDER AND ROBBERY 


15 


[Page 3] They said they had 

and that they believ'd Our Gov* was Just 
and would Punish a White man for Killing 
an Indian as soon as for killing a White Man, 
and that from what they Understood it 
might appear on trial that Tom was to 
Blame & that Watson was Oblig'd to kill 
him or be killed by him; they should rest it 
entirely with us to do what was right 
Agreable to our Laws, &c. 

I treated them well in my House Gave 
them Provisions when they went away & 
they Appear'd to be Satisfied and talk'd 

rationally. . 

Received information that a Party of Ali- 
bamis & Appelaches were in the Prarie 
above the Caddo Village hunting Buffelo & 
fell in with the Same party of Ozages who 
Rob'd the Caddos of their Horses, 
Attack'd them in the Night in their Camp 
killed five of them & defeated the whol 
Party & Retook Most of the Horses, there 
were more than twenty Ozages & only eight 
of the other Partie who Sustained no loss, 
tne ocaips o\ tne nve tney xviiieo. nao. arriv a 
at the Conchetta Village where all the 


20" 

The Ozages 
scalps were 
afterwards 
brot down 
& shown 
to me, 
they gave 
the Caddos 
some of 

LUC 

again 


AND MONOGRAPHS 





16 


NATCHITOCHES 


1807 
April 3d. 


Neighbouring Tribes were Collecting to 
hold the War Dance; my informant was one 
of the Alibamis who belonged to the Party. 

A Small Party of Cherokees Arriv'd here 
in two Perogues from up Red River with 
Deer Skins to trade in the factory, & being 
the first Cherokees that ever were here and 
well behaved Indians, I treated them well 
with provisions. There had been a Mis- 
understanding between them & the Caddos 
for some years, they had been to see the 
Caddos & made friends with them, & some 
Caddos Accompanied them here As Pilots 

&c by Order of the Chief. 

Seven or eight years Ago there was by 
x\ccident a Cherokee Killed in the Caddo 
Country, 24 the brother to the Man who was 
killed was one of the party that was here, 
he told me they had talk'd it over with the 
Caddo Chief, who entirely Satisfied him, 
he did not blame the Caddos in the Least, 
& spoke highly of the Caddo Chief. 
[Page 4] A Chacta Indian Called Cap* Sam 
presented himselfe & Produced a Certificate 

^lcrrrn n nv cnmp rpcnppf n Kip TnVi a ni n f ^ nf 

Olgi-U.1 Li Uy oVJillC ICopCLLdUJC X IXlld Ul Ldll L3 KJX 

the County of Rapides on Red River where 




INDIAN NOTES 



PASC AGOUL AS 


17 


he had lived for some time past that he was 
peacable, & Honest, &c he re- 
quested permission to plant Corn & build 
some temporary huts at a Prarie Near the 
Adaize where he Could live quietly & have 
his little Stock about him & not have them 
in the way of white people. I gave him 
permission, he had with him seven Men & 
seven Women exclusive of Children, to en- 
courage him I gave him Seven Hatchets to 
Cut Cane with, Seven Hoes & One Ax, the 
Hoes I bought of the factor the Ax & 
Hatchets were remaining of my own Indian 
Goods. I gave him likewise Some Seed 
Corn, Peach Stones, Garden & Mellon 

Seeds &c 

Francis Bossie esq r . & M r John Veron of 
this County Presented themselves with the 
Pascagola Chief & a party of Indians of 
that Nation, and the Chief by the Inter- 
preter Veron represented that Some years 
Ago his Nation Sold some Land to the 
Late Mons r . LeCour the former husband 
of the Present Madam Gillard, and that 
Mow M r Gillard claims morp Land undpr 
that Sale than they ever Sold & Particularly 


4" - 


AND MONOGRAPHS 





18 


NATCHITOCHES 


1807 

I did in- 
form M r 
Gillard, and 
the Indians 
remain as 
yet peac- 
ably on the 
land 


the Lands which they expressly reserved 
for their Village where they now live, and 
requests them to move off & Give it up to 
him. M r Veron Declar'd he was present 
at the Sale of the Land to M r LeCour and 
was the Interpreter between them, and 
knows the Statement of the Chief to be true; 
I informed the Indians that M r Gillard 
Never having had possession of the Land in 
question, they had Never been out of 
possession of it, that on the Change of Gov 
we found them there, they Could not be 
turn'd off by M r Gillard untill his Claim 
was established, that If it came before the 
Board of 'Commissioners [ Page 5 ] of Land 
Claims, I should think it my duty to State 
to the Commissioners their Objections to it, 
with the evidence they Could produce rela- 
tive to the Sale &c, and that Justice would 
Undoubtedly be done them; but what ever 
had been Legally done by the Spanish Gov* 
would not be undone by our Gov* they 
might in the Mean time plant their Corn 
in peace, & I would inform M r Gillard that 
nis \^iaim v^ouiq not. ue aiiencQ uy me 
Indians Continuing as usual on the Land. 




INDIAN NOTES 



"CONCH ETTAS" 


19 


that it was desirable to avoid all disputes 
between the Red & White people; but 
Should his Claim be established, the Indians 
must then move to Some Other place. 

Pia Mingo & Red Shoes two 

Conchetta Chiefs with 33 Men of the Sabine 
Village Arriv'd. I gave them Provisions. 
Red Shoes say'd that Tom who was Killed 
at the Sabine by Watson was his Brother 
and that he came to demand, and expected, 
Satisfaction for it. I informed him what 
had been done to apprehend Watson, that 
he had been Once taken & broke away 
Again, and that If he Could be Caught he 
would be brought to trial, and the Same 
Justice would be done them by Our Laws 
that would If a White Man had been Killed, 
that their great Father the President Con- 
sidered all the Red people as his Children, 
and he would not Suffer any wrong to be 
done them without given them Just & 
Legal Satisfaction, If the person who had 
done the wrong Could be Caught; but if he 
made his escape we could do only what the 

\ qcp TXTnnlH A nmit (~\t • f~ n T _ n"n/~vr > An t~ (~* r\i 1 1 rl 
WUUJU ilLU.11111 Ui, LllC XI1I1UL.CI.1L V^UUIU 

not Suffer for the guilty. Bad men ought 


April 7 


AND MONOGRAPHS . 





20 NATCHITOCHES 



not to break our friendship; he seemed satis- 
fied & went away, Return'd Again & de- 
manded Some presents. I ask'd him for 
what he said to keep them quiet & from 
doing us any Mischief on Account of Tom, 
that he Could not think of loosing his 
Brother for Nothing 25 

1807 [ Page 6 ] I did not disguise from him that 
I was not well pleas'd at the manner in 
which he had express'd himselfe, that we 
were not to be menac'd into a Compliance 
with his unreasonable demand, after the 
explanation I had given him, he Said no 
more about it; I however before he went 
away gave him a Hat & a half Regimental 
Blue Coat faced with Red which I had 
made with Several others of some stroud 26 
that remain'd of the Goods I received, which 
got damag'd by Mouths. 

14 : " The Grand Caddo Chief and a party of 15 
men of that Nation in Perogues loaded with 
Skins arriv'd. I gave them Provisions & a 

carrot 27 Tobacco. 

I gave the Caddo Chief a Scarlet Regimental 
Coat trim'd with Black Velvet and white 
Plated Buttons. The Cloth I bought of 



INDIAN NOTES 



II 



CADDO GIFTS 


21 


the factor the Making & Trimings Cost 
Eight Dollars. At the same time gave the 
Son of Carody the Old Caddo Chief a Blue 
Half Regimental Coat trim'd with Scarlet 

and a White Linnen Shirt. 

And Sent by the Caddo Chief a Regimental 
Coat to a friend of his Called the Grand 
Ozages. (Called so from his having in a 
Battle with a party of Ozages been wounded 
with a Ball in his forehead) and who parti- 
cularly a ttach'd himself e to Maj r Freeman 
in his exploring expedition & accompanied 
him from the Caddo Village as far up the 
River as he went, and back again to Natchi- 
toches, and was Particularly Servisable in 
hunting, as a Guide & keeping the Other 
Indians together, and is in Major Freemans 
Opinion one of the Best Indians he ever saw. 

John Conrad & John Mc 

Murry each of them had permission to 
purchase a Horse of the Indians at a fair 
price, the marks of the Horses were Regis- 
tered. 

[ Page 7 ] The Interpreter Gaspard Phille- 
bare Arriv'd from the Conchetta Village 
with the Boats and what he found of the 


1807 

April 25" 


AND MONOGRAPHS 





22 


NATCHITOCHES 


May 12". 
Re id came 
to Natchi- 
toches & 
presented 
himselfe 
and gave 
himself up. 

May 5". 


Articles which were left there by Major 
Freeman, he hired fourteen Indians to 
assist in bringing down the Boats, who 
M r Linnard Paid at my request out of the 
factory. Reid the Corporal of the Guard 
who was left with the Charge of the 
Property after making way with a number 
of the Things, and Selling about one 
hundred Dollars worth of Deer Skins be- 
longing to the Three Soldiers who were left 
with him" Deserted to the Spaniards at 
Nacogdoches, they were Oblig'd to Leave a 
Large Perogue behind them at one of the 
Rafts in the River above Campti not being 

able to get it over. 

Three Caddos Arriv'd Special Messengers 
from the Caddo Chief to inform me that a 
party of Chactas consisting of Eight per- 
sons from the great Nation Under a Leader 
Called Stamelachee had lately been at a 
Camp of Nandacos at a Saline on the River 
Sabine above where the Nandacos live, the 
Men being out hunting & left their Women 
to Make Salt & had Murdered two of the 
Women & wounded Some Others, without 
any provocation and brought the Scalps 




INDIAN NOTES 



CHOCTAW-OSAGE FEUD 


23 


of the women through the Conchetta 
Village on their way to the great Chacta 
Nation. The • Chief Instructed them to 
tell me that he Sent me this information 
agreeable to the Stipulations of the treaty 
and that he demanded Satisfaction for the 

Murders as the treaty provides. 

I dispatch 'd William Rollings to find all 
the Chacta Chiefs who Assisted at the Treaty 
of peace with the Caddos, to give them the 
Above information, and request they would 
come immediately to Natchitoches for the 
purpose of concerting Measures to give 
to the Caddo Chief the Satisfaction he 
demanded. 

Piamingo the Conchetta Chief Arriv'd with 
a party from the upper Village en Red 
River, he brought two of the Ozages 
Scalps, that the Party of Indians of that 
Village had Taken a Short time before 
[ Page 8 ] Piamingo Said that Red River 
was rising remarkably high that Some of 
the Village & Cornfields were Overflow'd, 
he went there to endeavour to perswade 
the Indians of that Village to abandon it 


8". 

15" 
1807 


AND MONOGRAPHS 





24 


NATCHITOCHES 


May 20'. 


& go & live with them on the Sabine he said 
he Could not perswade them to Move. 

Note. I afterwards had reason to think 
he was Sent by Governor Cordero of S* 
Antonio, and that the real Object was to 
perswade all the different Tribes of Creeks 
on the West side of the Mississippi (viz) 
Conchettas, Alibamis & Appelaches to move 
into the dominions of Spain to Consolidate 
& make them as formidable as possible. 
Biachubby a Chacta Chief & 48 persons 
with him arriv'd from Acatahola where they 
live, they were going on a hunting Party 
towards the Caddo Country, and on hearing 
of the Murder of the tw Women turn'd 
back the Same day Arriv'd Tombolin 
another Chacta Chief & Party with Tusca- 
toga, the Chief & his Party, Neuchema a 
Chief, and Chechemastubba, all Accom- 
panied by their Warriors. 

Since the death of the Chief Chapanchaba 
no one has been Elected to fill his place, 
Tombolin is a Sensible Active Young Man, 
of the family of the deceased Chief, and 
Nephew to the two Brothers Tuscatoga & 
Chechemastubba, who had Such influence 




INDIAN NOTES 



CHOCTAW ARRIVE 


25 


that they Could Appoint without Opposi- 
tion who they pleas'd, they Agree'd to pro- 
pose their Nephew Tombolin, & inform'd 
me of it; I know the temper of him and his 
disposition to Drink, and was Sorry to hear 
him propos'd. Tuscatoga was my choice, 
who is not Apt to get Intoxicated & is a 
peacable Honest Man; but I being Un- 
willing to Oppose them consented to their 
proposal, on conditions that Tuscatoga 
would Act as Second to him, which was 
Agree'd to. 

Same day Arriv'd a party of Alibamis 
from the Conchetta Village on Red River, 
with a quantity of skins to trade in the fac- 
tory, gave them Provisions. 
[Page 9] Several Other Chacta Chiefs 
with their Warriors arriv'd (viz) The Huani 
Chief, Cap* Sam, & Mucklehei & White 
Meat whose wife is the Daughter to the 
great Chief Deceas'd, Chapanchaba. I 

gave them all Provisions. — 

Tuscatoga came and inform'd me that all 
the Chiefs & head Men had arriv'd that 
were expected, and they were all assembled 
at the Indian House and were waiting for 


1807 
May 26" 

28" 


AND MONOGRAPHS 





26 


NATCHITOCHES 




me there. — I accordingly repaired thither 
with the Interpreter and a Number of 
Gentlemen as Spectators. When Tuscatoga 
Presented to me his Nephew Tombolin as 
their Newly Elected Chief, who being Seated 
Tuscatoga Seated himself e at his left hand, 
they were both of them formally Installed 
as Chiefs, and all who were present of the 
Nation (upwards of two hundred) came 
one after another & took them by the hand 

& saluted them as their Chiefs. 

I Presented Tombolin with a Sword, with 
such a Speech as I thought Appropriate to 
the Occasion, with a Hat & Plume, a White 
Shirt, & a Blue Regimental Coat. And to 

Tuscatoga a Hat & Plume; 

after which I explained to them, the Cause 
of my Sending for them, represented the 
Murder of the two Women as unprovok'd, 
Cruel, & Cowardly, and disgracefull to War- 
riors, & that by the Treaty they were bound 
to make a Just retribution. I describe to 
them the Horrors of their Wars, that they 
bore hard upon their Women & Children; 
defeated their hunting & Planting Pursuits, 
& brought upon them Misery in a great 




INDIAN NOTES 



ADVICE TO CHOCTAW 


27 


variety of forms, & besides it was the Wish 
of their great Father the President of the 
United States that they Should all live in 
peace, & Recommended to them that a 
respectable delegation of three or four per- 
sons Should be immediately Sent to the 
Caddo Nation, with a good Talk to the 
Chief expressing their Wish to live in peace 
& disaprobating the Murders that had been 
Committed, disclaiming all [Page 10] 
knowledge of it or Connection with the 
Murderers, & their regret at it, and promis- 
ing to do all they could to have the Mur- 
derers punished; which was unanimously 
Agree'd to, & Tuscatoga Offered to go & 
two of his friends Offered to Accompany 
him, & M r Philebare the Caddo Interpreter 
who Speaks both Languages Agree'd to go 
with them; preparations were made Ac- 
cordingly for their departure. 

I Gave Tuscatoga a Medal & Sent 
Another by him to the Great Caddo Chief, 
which I had made by John Conrad & a 
White Smith, and two White Shirts, 2 
Small Gorgets*, 2 Braggy's 28 and 2 pair of 
Leggings, 2 Black Handkfs, 4 Ells binding 


1807 
May 


AND MONOGRAPHS 





28 


NATCHITOCHES 


he now has 
the Horse 
in good 
order, as 
public Pro- 
perty. — 


2 lb Powder, 4 lb lead, 1 Comb, & 4 02 
vermilion and a New Bridle. And Paid a 
Chickesaw $24-75 ct s in goods Out of the 
factory for a Horse for M r Gaspard Philebare 
the Interpreter to ride to the Caddo Nation 

with the Chacta Commissioners.— 

In the Mean time many of the Indians re- 
main'd here, Saying Untill they knew the 
result of the embassy they were afraid to 
go Out hunting, that they would go as Soon 
as I could tell them whether If they went 
into the Woods it was to be Killed or to 
kill a deer. I Gave them two Barrels of 
Damag'd Flour that Came down from the 
Conchetta Village in Major Freeman's 
Boats. 

While they remain'd here Tombolin the 
newly made Chief got into a habit of 
Drunkenness and behav'd so 111 at my 
House & to me for refusing him Liquor 
Threatening my life, Alarming my Servants 
by his Menacings, that M r Linnard ran & 
brought me a Loaded Pistol, to Shoot him 
If he did not desist, Another person Brought 
me a Gun. I however had a Scuffle with 
him & I believe at some risque took his 




INDIAN NOTES 



BALL-PLAY 


29 


Sword from him which he [Page 11 ] Drawn 
to Kill or frighten me, his two Uncles 
Tuscatoga & Chechemastubba heard of the 
fray and hastened to the House and when 
they understood how he had behaved would 
have killed him on the Spot If I had per- 
mitted them, they told him in my Presence 
if he ever Insulted me Again they would kill 
him, we however, Concluded to depose him 
& took his Hat & Plume & Coat from him 
I gave him his Coat again by the request of 
Tuscatoga but kept his Sword, which I 
afterwards gave to Tuscatoga who is now 
regarded as the first Chief on this Side of the 
Missisippi, the Hat & Plume was Given 
to one who went with Tuscatoga to the 

Caddo Village — 

While the Chactas remain'd here a large 
Party of Pascagolas came to play a Match 
at Ball with them, there were twenty four 
players of a Side they made high Betts, & 
even the Women bet with One Another 
every rag of Cloathing they had, and the 
Winer Stript the Looser immediately On 
the ground, the Men Bet their Horses, Guns, 
Jewelry &c — the first day the Chactas Beat 


1807 


AND MONOGRAPHS 





30 


NATCHITOCHES 


1807 
June 8". 


the Pascagolas, they play'd again two days 
After Changing the Match a little by leaving 
out Some & taking in Others & the Pascago- 
las Beat; the Points of Game are Twelve, 
their Agility & exertion is astonishing to 
Spectators, & very Interesting, they Often 
hurt one Another by Blows & falls, Brake & 
Deslocate Bones & Joints, & Sometimes Kill 
One Another, but Never get Angry or resent 
Anything that is done in the game of Ball. 
If one ever discovers any Anger or resent- 
ment, he is turn'd Out as disquallified, & not 
Suffered to play in a Match Again, which 
is deem'd very disgraceful!, a description 
of the Principles of the Game, the Instru- 
ment Used, the preparations & Rules &c 
would be Somewhat lengthy, and probably 
would not be deem'd worth Noticing here, 

or I would mention it a large. 

[Page 12] I Receiv'd information from 
White Meat a Chacta Indian who lives at the 
Yan Cooko Prarie who came here this day 
that he believ'd or had reason to believe, that 
a Short time Ago a White Man had been 
Murdered by a young Concnetta Indian on 
a Branch of the Bayau Cossachie about 




INDIAN NOTES 



! 



WHITE MAN KILLED 


31 


Thirty or 40 Miles from Natchitoches. 
After procuring the best information the 
Indian Could give about the place where the 
Murder was sepose'd to have been Com- 
mitted, I employ'd John David, & William 
Rollings to go Out & Search for the dead 
Body and procure all the Information they 
Could about it, I gave them provisions for 

the Voyage. 

They Set off the 9" of June, the same day 
Joseph Gillard Esquire came to Natchitoches 
and Said he had been inform'd that in Con- 
sequence of that Murder which 'twas Said 
had been Committed on the Bayau Cossa- 
chie by a Conchetta Indian, that they were 
Cutting up their corn at their Village On 
the Sabine and were going to abandon it & 
remove all off into the Dominions of Spain, 
and that they had Sent to the Appelaches, 
& Pascagolas a Belt & War Talk, to Induce 
them to Join them in going to war Against 
the Americans. Same day I wrote to M r 
Lesard at Rapide requesting him to procure 
what information he Could relative to the 
Above report & inform me of it, If he 
should deem it Necessary to send an express 




AND MONOGRAPHS 





32 


NATCHITOCHES 


June 12". 

1807 
June 14". 


I would pay the expence of it. The Same 
day I wrote to Gov r Claiborne Stating the 
above information, & that we had heard 
Cap* Pike 29 was in Some of the Interior 
Spanish Provinces. 

John David & William Rollings return'd & 
reported that they found the dead body of a 
Man in the Main Fork of Bayau Cossachie, 
it was Mostly under Water where they be- 
liev'd at had Lain for twenty days or more, 
the water ran Clear & was Cool where it 
Lay. I paid each of them Six Dollars 
[ Page 13 ] I Summoned a Jury of Inquest 
and being a Magistrate myselfe Acted as 
Coroner we Set off this day and Arriv'd at 
the House of M r Edward Teal Near the 
Bayau Cossachie, the distance from Natchi- 
toches by the Rout we were oblig'd to pur- 
sue on Acc* of Some Creeks, the Nearest 
way being not fordable was estimated at 
about 25 miles, which at Low water is tra- 
vel'd in 15. Next Morning early we Set off 
again from M r Teals. M r Teal & his Son 
James went with us, the place where the 

rfpnrl hnrlv waq hpincr rHcitflnt from TVT r TValt; 

LiCCfLi VKJKJLy W CXo UCl-Ug Lilo LCtil L 1 1 Will J.V-L JL CCVIO 

about 15 Miles, & his being the Nearest 




INDIAN NOTES 



I 



INQUEST 


33 


House to the place, we found the dead Body 
as David & Rollings had left it, the Jury 
were duly empanneli'd & Sworn Agreable to 
the Laws of this Territory, Six being the 
Number required by Law, & were, Edmund 
Teal, James Teal, William Rollings, Allen W. 
Berry, Pierre Suricks, & Joseph Eastep, who 
proceeded to examine the Subject before 
them, the Head was seperated f rom the body, 
and was not found, being a Bold runing 
Stream and a smoth Rock Bottom the Cur- 
rent had Carried it down. Most of the Other 
parts of the Body were found together in a 
decay'd State, the small Fish had work'd in 
& destroy'd Much of the Flesh, the Skin of 
the breast, Belly and Arms was found Nearly 
in a Sound State, through that part of the 
Skin that Cover'd the left side of the Belly 
were five holes, which the Jury were of the 
Opinion were the Stabs of a knife, all other 
Parts of the body were so decay'd that 
Marks of Violence were not distinguishable, 
there were Severa 1 Stabs through the left 
Side of the Pantaloons of the Man re- 
sembling those through the Skin of the Belly. 
The Jury took the examination of Tombolin 




AND MONOGRAPHS 





34 


NATCHITOCHES 


1807. 


and White Meat Two Chacta Indians. 
Tombolin through William Rollings a sworn 
Interpreter of the Chacta Language In- 
formed the Jury "that he had Just returned 
from the Conchetta Village on the Sabine, 
and that he there Saw a Young Man of 
that Nation who confess'd to him that he 
did Kill the Same White man at the place 
where his Body was found, he says the Indian 
told him the White Man had like to have 
been too hard for him that they had a very 
hard fight, & showed him his Thumb which 
he said the White man Bit, it was then so 
bad they thought he was in danger of 
loosing his hand 

[Page 14] And that One Side of his face 
was so much bruis'd he had Nearly lost his 
eye and that the Indian said it was his own 
fault for he attacked the White Man before 
he had got his knife ready, his gun was wet 
he could not get it off. The Conchetta 1 
farther told Tombolin as he related, that 
when he was at Natchitoches with the Chiefs 
Piamingo & Red Shoes he wanted to Kill a 
White Man in the Street, but they would 

not let him, and that he waited round the 1 

• 




INDIAN NOTES 



INQUEST 


35 


Fort two days to get an opportunity of 
Killing a Soldier but was disappointed. 

White Meat the Chacta of the family of 
the great Chief Chapanchaba deceas'd, who 
is well known by a Number of the Jury 
who esteem him a Man of truth, he lives 
at the Yan Cooko Prarie, about twenty 
Miles from the place where the dead body 
was found, towards the Conchetta Village 
on the Sabine, Related to the Jury the 
following circumstances, (viz) "that More 
than a Moon ago a White Man Came to 
his House who he understood had come from 
Oppolousas & was going to Nacogdoches, 
he was Leading a Roan Horse that Seem'd 
so Pack'd or Loaded with goods that he 
Could not conveniently Ride, was Carrying 
a Rifle in his hand, with a Deer Skin Case 
Over it, a small Young Man, had on a 
Round Black hat, a long drab coloured 
Great Coat, Leather Pantaloons & New 
Shoes, and had a good Countenance, he had 
Miss'd his way which brought him past 
the Prarie where he lives, he put him into 

In cx t-1 rr n i~ i~\a f n xkt n i r*V» tx7i"»i ilrl Vp ni m in fn f np 
C11C llgill JJdlll W111L11 WUU1U LdiS.C 111111 ±11 1<J LllC 

right Road Again Soon after he would Cross 




AND MONOGRAPHS 





36 


NATCHITOCHES 


1807 


the Creek at the place where the dead 
Body was found, the Creek was then 
swiming but there was a log a Cross it 
Near the ford that Travellers Cross'd On 
& Swam their Horses, his description of 
the Shoes & Pantaloons the Man had on 
Answered to those the Jury found. White- 
meat farther Says that Charles his son in 
law (a Chacta half breed) [ Page 15] came to 
his House the same Night late in the even- 
ing after the White Man had pass'd and 
told him he was Coming from Natchitoches 
where he had been to trade & on his return 
fell in company with the Same Young Con- 
chetta Indian mentioned by Tombolin who 
Confess'd the Murder, and were travelling 
on together, and that Soon after Crossing the 
Creek at the place where the dead body was 
found, they met the Same White Man who 
he had Just mentioned having pass'd his 
House, after they had pass'd the White Man 
a Short distance the Conchetta stop'd and 
told Charles he would turn back and Kill 
the white Man, Charles told him he should 

nnf fni* fnaf" nath waq I ipqti Rr wac fri^ir 

11UL, 1U1 LlldL jJdLJLl VV do V-/lCdll Ol W do L11C11 

trading path & it Should not be bloodied, 30 




INDIAN NOTES 



WHITEMEAT TESTIFIES 


37 


they pass'd on a small distance farther & he 
again propos'd to turn Back & kill the white 
man, & he again diswaded him from it, & 
they proceeded on, at length the Conchetta 
told Charles he had Occasion to Stop a 
Minute or two & If he would go on Slowly 
he would soon overtake him, the Conchetta 
was carrying a Bundle of Goods belonging 
to Charles, they were both riding, Charles 
went on but Saw no more of the Conchetta 
that day, and he arriv'd late at Night at the 
House of his Father in Law alone, & told 
him (Whitemeat) that he was afraid he 
had gone back to kill the white Man they 
had Met. Whitemeat farther said that 
the Second day after, the Same Conchetta 
pass'd along by his house without Calling, 
threw Charle's Bundle Over the fence into 
his Enclosure, he had a Naked Rifle Barrel 
in One hand, and the Other was bound up. 
One side of his face was very much Bruis'd, 
he look'd very bad, pass'd on without S top- 
ing, & Charles Observ'd at the Same time 
that from his Conduct & Appearance he 
fear'd Mischief had been done. Whitemeat 
farther Said that he had been informed Since 




AND MONOGRAPHS 





38 


NATCHITOCHES 


1807 


by Several Conchetta Indians that the Young 
Man Confess'd the Murder and related all 
the Circumstances of it, and that after 
Killing him & Throwing him into the Creek 
he took all his things & hid them by [ Page 16 ] 
By the Side of a tree, and went away to 
Camp being much hurt & Bruis'd in the 
Battle, and when he returned Again the 
Next day the fire had got to them and 
Burnt them all up, he found nothing re- 
maining but the Rifle Barrel & the Mount- 
ings; White Meat farther said that he had 
been Since inform'd the Man's Horse had 
been Since Seen on the Creek. 

Peter M c Daniel of Oppelousas Informed 
the Jury that the Murdered man left Oppo- 
lousas for Nacogdoches with a quantity of 
Merchandize, that his Name was Oneal, 
he was a stranger in that Country, but had 
been there two or three times, he understood, 
he came from Some part of Missisippi 
Territory. — 

The Jury made up a verdict as their 
Unanimous Opinion that the Mans Name 
was Oneal, & that he was Murdered by a 




INDIAN NOTES 



I 



INDIAN VISITORS 


39 


Conchetta Indian of the Village on the 
River Sabine.— 

Arriv'd here this day and ask'd for Pro- 
visions, — 

111 Chactas 1 The Chactas Came 
40 Pascagolas I to Meet Tuscatoga 
1 &t CheS was to be back 
18 Appelaches from [ from the Caddo's 

upper Village. f this day, the Other 
15 Pascagolas from T 0 . 

Lower D° Indians Some of 

them came to hear if 

223. Persons J the Ca ddos & Chac- 
tas were going to War, Others were on their 
way out a hunting & wanted an Outfit &c. — 
M r Philebare the Interpreter Returned 
from the Caddo Nation where he had been 
to Accompany Tuscatoga the Chacta Chief, 
& said that Tuscatoga was taken with a 
fever, & he was Oblig'd to Leave him about 
30 Miles behind, that Some of his People 
were with him, & he would come on as soon 
as he Could; that on their Arrival at the 
Caddo Village, they found the great 
Chief [Page 17] Absent; but that Carody 
the Old Chief receiv'd them with great Kind- 
ness & Civility and treated them as well as 


June 18". 

19". 
1807 


AND MONOGRAPHS 





40 


NATCHITOCHES 


25" June. 


was in his power, and express'd a great desire 
to be at peace with the Chactas, and that the 
Great Chief would Come to Natchitoches 
as soon as he came home. And that Mes rs 
Lewis, Watkins & Downs were on the way 
hither with a party of Panis Indians with a 
drove of Horses, and Likewise the Nandaco 
Chief was coming to trade at the factory 

with a Party of his People. 

John S. Lewis and Jeremiah Downs 
Arriv'd from the Panis Nation Accompanied 
by a Chief & Eight Men of the Nation, & 
report that they left Alexander, Litton, 
Lusk & Lucas at the Panis Nation where 
they Intended to remain Some Weeks, 
that they had Engag'd a party of Indians 
to go out with them to Catch wild Horses, 
that they all had been treated by the v hol 
Panis Nation in the Most friendly manner; 
but more especially by the Great Tawiache 
Chief the first Man in the Nation, who 
every body Speaks well of. — That a party 
with the Chief called the Panis Chief had 
Lately Arriv'd from S* Antonio where they 
nau ueen .mviieu uy uovcrnor v^oruero, 
they return'd Loaded with presents, 




INDIAN NOTES 



PANIS AND HIETANS 


41 


dress'd in Laced Cloaths, New Spanish 
Hats, & every Man of the Party had re- 
ceiv'd a present of a Spanish Saddle, & two 
or three Horses, or Mules, and the Governor 
sent by them Three Stands of Spanish 
Colours One for each Village; but that the 
Great Chief would Suffer none of them 
to be hoisted; but used the Colours of 
the United States which I gave him; he 
requested M r Lewis to tell me he wanted 
two Other Stands of American Colours that 
each Village Might have One. M r Lewis 
Visited a Hietan Camp then about 40 
Miles from the Panie Towns, by the Invita- 
tion of a Hietan Chief who came to the Panis, 
he believes the Camp Contained more than 
Two Thousand persons, and that they had 
not less than five Thousand Horses & Mules, 
Some of them remarkable fine Animals, he 
was treated by the Hietans with Great 
[ Page 18 ] Civility, he bought a few Horses of 
them, but had only a few trifling Articles of 
Goods with him. The great Chief told him 
he Intended to come to Natchitoches in a 
Short time, the Great Tawiache Chief had 
promis'd to Accompany him, and that he 


1807 


AND MONOGRAPHS 





42 


NATCHITOCHES 




(the Hie tan) had been to S* Antonio and 
receiv'd Some presents from Governor 
Cordero. M r Lewis Saw Some Specimens 
of Silver Ore which was found in great 
quantities on the N° East side of Red River 
above the Panis Nation, which he believes 
to be Rich, he believes the distance from 
Natchitoches to the Panis Nation to be 
about 600 miles and in Nearly a Northwest 
direction. M r Lewis thinks the Praries 
through which he travelled are generally a 
very Rich Soil, & that the Country from 
Natchitoches to the Boi d'Arc Creek, 
Near the Panis will all admit of thick & 
Valuable Settlements, and that Scattering 
Ones may be made as far as the Nation, 
that Copses of Wood are always to be 
Seen in the Praries and the lands on all the 
Water Courses are well timbered. In 
coming from the Panis they lay'd their 
course so far south that they fell in upon the 
head Branches of the Braces, Trinity & 
Sabine Rivers, Some of which head within 
25 or 30 Miles of the Red River. 




INDIAN NOTES 



MORE MURDER 


43 


I gave the Panis Provisions a Kittle, & 
each of them a Comb. Looking Glass & Some 
Vermilion on their Arrival. 

Big head the Nandaco Chief and a Party 
of 15 hunters Arriv'd with Skins to trade in 
the factory. — Gave them Provisions. — — 

I gave likewise An Order to the Gunsmith 
for the reparation of the Nandacos Guns. 
[Page 19] This day I had a talk with Tom- 
bolin & the relations of the Indian who was 
Killed by Thomas at Bayau Chico in the 
County of Oppolousas, they Insist that the 
Indian was Killed by Thomas without pro- 
vocation and that satisfaction Ought to be 
made for it, they say he was a Young Man a 
good hunter and had his Mother & Sister to 
maintain who had no other relation to depend 
upon, and that Thomas had hired the witnes- 
ses who were knowing to the Circumstances 
of the Murder to go away, and that Judge 
Collins instead of doing his duty and bringing 
Thomas to punishment had done all in his 
power to Screen him; After I had Convers'd 
with them some time they promised me that 
they would take satisfaction of no one but 
Thomas, that so far from hurting his wife 


26". 

1807 
June 27 


AND MONOGRAPHS 





44 


NATCHITOCHES 




& Children they would divide their Veni- 
son with them. I sent to the Mother & 
Sister of the deceas'd Indian Eight Yards 
of Callico & two Shawls to be divided be- 
tween them 

I gave Tuscatoga the things that were 
allotted for one of the Indians who was to 
have gone with him to the Caddo Nation & 
who failed to go, and also a flap of Blue 

Stroud for his wife. 

Gave the Panis who Came in with M r 
Lewis the following Presents (viz). 8 Tin 
Kittles, 8 Tin Cups, 8 Stroud Blankets, 8 
Braggys, & flaps, 8 Handkfs, 8 Parcels of 
Paint, 6 lb Lead l lb Powder, 8 Knives, 
1 Comb more, 32 Yards Red Binding, 
8 Hatchets, 8 Tobacco Boxes, 7 Hoes, 1 
Powder Horn 2 ounces of Verdigrease and 
two Carrots of Tobacco; and Sent by them 
for the Great Chief particularly to engage 
his attention to Captain Pikes Party who 
were then expected to arrive at the Panis 
Village, the following articles (viz) 12 lb 
Powder 25 lb Lead, 2 Yards Scarlet Cloth, 

t: JJldllKCLo, L XXdlis, JL JTlUIIlCb U JVIllVCb, 1 ±111 

Kittle, 2 Guns, 6 Combs, 2 Hoes, 1 Hatchet, 




INDIAN NOTES 



HORSE STEALING 


45 


2 lb Vermilion 1 Black Silk Handkf, 1 
Red D° 1 doz Gun flints 200 Wampum 
Beeds & 2 Carrots of Tobacco. 

The Panis took their departure, one of 
them was Taken Sick and di'd on his way 
home. 

[Page 20] Charles a Chacta half Breed with 
three or four Other Chactas Indians, Presen- 
ted themselves and complain'd that one of 
them had near the River Sabine been Rob'd 
of a Valuable Mare the property of him 
(Charles) by a Man by the Name of James 
Elliott, and demanded that Elliott Should 
be compel'd to restore the Mare or they 
would go out Kill him and Take her, the 
Indians Said at the Same time they knew 
Elliott to be a bad Man for he had try'd to 
perswade them to Join him in Stealing 
Horses from the Spaniards. 

I thought proper to Issue a States 
Warrant which I directed to David Allen a 
Non Commission'd officer of the Natchi- 
toches Troop of Horses, derecting him to 
Summon Six Men of the Troop to be well 
equip'd & Mounted to go Out & take 
Elliott & his Accomplices who were Said to 


1807 

July 12". 


AND MONOGRAPHS 





46 


NATCHITOCHES 


July 21" 


be 7 or 8 who had encamp 'd themselves 
between the Adaize and the Sabine, & were 
Stealing, & Collecting together all the 
Horses they Could, bidding defiance to all 
Authority Under pretence of being on 
Neutral Ground. The Party went Out 
Accordingly found the Camp, took Elliot 
& Eighteen Horses and brought them into 
Natchitoches Amongst them was the Indians 
Mare who was given up to him. Several 
other of the Horses were Stolen from 
Inhabitants which were prov'd & given 
up; and Elliot was Committed to Jail for 
trial, but broke out the Same day and made 
his escape; the propriety of my Sending a 
Warrant beyond the Rio honda was made 
a question, and agitated with Some warmth, 
& was the Subject of a representation to 
Governor Claiborn, who had the Goodness 
to write me politely upon it, highly appro- 
bating what I had done. 

I employ'd William Rollings to go with 
a Special Message to the Conchetta Village 
Near the Aceokesaws in the Dominions of 
Spain relative to the Murder of Obryan by 
a Conchetta Indian About the latter end of 




INDIAN NOTES 



O'NEAL'S MURDER 


47 


the Month of May last on the Bayau 
Cossachie, to request the Chiefs to give up 
the Murderer, to come in themselves in a 
peacable & friendly Manner and they Shall 
be well received. 

[Page 21] Receiv'd duplicate Packets from 
Governor Claiborne enclosing a Talk to the 
Caddo Chief, and Another to theConchettas, 
and his Excellencys Proclamation for appre- 
hending Watson who killed Indian Tom at 
the Salt Works. I had requested the Gover- 
nor to Issue this Proclamation in the Month 
of January last, & furnished him with depo- 
sitions of the fact, Description of Watsons 
Person &c. he informed me he was so much 
Occupied he could not find time to attend to 
it; after Obryan was killed & it being 
Suggested to the Governor that this Murder 
would not have hapened If Watson had been 
Apprehended & tried, and that Watson 
had been some time on Washita & might 
have been Caught if his proclamation had 
not have been delay'd, it was Issued to no 
purpose. 

-LUC bctlllC Kxcxy LllC JJLUdlll v^lldL-Lcl V^IllCl (X 

a pretty large Party of Chacta Indians 


1807 

Aug* 8". 


AND MONOGRAPHS 





48 


NATCHITOCHES 


Aug* 9". 


Arriv'd. They brought in a Small Bay 
American Rais'd Horse which they had 
Taken as a Stray delivered him to me & 
Ask'd a Compensation for bringing him in 
knowing as they said he belonged to Some 
American they said they found him Amongst 
Some Wild Horses Near the River Sabine. 

John Nichols lately of Natchez Appear'd 
& Claim'd the Horse & Said he had a Short 
time before lent him to a friend of his from 
Natchez to Ride to the Sabine who was 
still there & Probably hunting the Horse. 
On examination a Musquet or Rifle Ball 
had been Shot through the Horses Neck, 
the Indians Confess'd they had Shott him 
in Order to Catch him they Intended only 
to Creese him; but the Rifle not being pro- 
perly Charg'd the Ball fell too Low & went 

through his Neck Near the Wind pipe. 

M r Nichols Appear'd Much exasperated 
about it, and I advis'd the Indians to Com- 
promise it with him by giving him Another 
Horse, and they after Considerable difficulty 
did so. 

The great Caddo Chief Arnv d and Gave 
information that about Three hundred 




INDIAN NOTES 



j 



INDIAN VISITORS 


49 


Indians of different Nations were on their 
way and would be here tomorrow, he said 
there were some of the Hietans, Tawakenoes, 
Keychies, Inies, Nabedaches, Nacogdochet- 
tas, Aiche, Nandacos, with Some Caddos, 
Adaize, Yattassees, & Natchitoches 
[Page 22] Eighty Hietans & four Great 
Chiefs arriv'd Gave them Provisions & 
Cooking Utensils, & Some Tobacco & to the 
Chiefs the following Articles, (viz) 4 Hats, 
4 Plumes, 4 Callico Shirts, 4 Parcels of 
Paint, 4 Braggys. (Britch Clouts) 4 Looking 
Glasses, 4 Knives, 4 Black Silk Handkfs, 
& 4 Combs. 

The Same day arriv'd the Inie Chief & 
a Party of 16 of that Nation. Gave them 
Provisions. — 

Invited the four Hietan Chiefs to my 
House, Entertained them, Gave them 
Tobacco, Smok'd with them &c. Offered 
them Spirits, which they refus'd; but were 
very fond of a Sweet Drink made of Honey 
or Molasses & Water, Sent for a Taylor & 
had them Measured each of them for a 
Scarlet Coat fared with THark Velvet Rr 
trim'd with white Buttons, they wanted 


1807 

Aug 1 11. 


AND MONOGRAPHS 





50 


NATCHITOCHES 


13". 


them made like the Caddo Chief's which I 
gave him, the Nandaco Chief had one made 
in the Same Fasion, the Cloth he bought 
himself e. I Gave him the Making and 

Tr imings . 

Arriv'd Parties of Tawakenoes, Keychies, 
Nabedaches, Nacogdoches, Nandacos, 
Aiche, Adaize, Yattassees, & Natchitoches, 
with the Chiefs of all these Nations, Gave 
them Provisions & Some Cooking Utensels. 
The Indians altogether having Nearly four 
hundred Horses the Commons of Natchi- 
toches from the Long drouth affording no 
Sustenance for them & for fear they would 
Stray off be Stolen & lost, (the country being 
full of persons of Suspicious Character) 
& the Indians particularly the Hietans who 
have the Most Horses being Accustom'd to 
Praries & no woodsmen, in searching their 
Horses in the woods would probably get 
lost themselves. I hired three men to take 
the Horses a few Miles distant to where food 
was Plenty and Guard them, they did 
so Notwithstanding which Twenty five of 
their Horses were Missing & believ d to 
be Stolen, the Men Pen'd them every Night 




INDIAN NOTES 



INDIAN ARRIVALS 


51 


& Camp'd Near them, one Night in a 
Thunderstorm the Pen was broke down & 
the Horses were Scattered, and 
[ Page 23 ] Never were all Collected after- 
wards; they inform'd me two Men Came one 
Night to Steal Horses Caught two & were 
going off with them, they rescued the Horses, 
but the Men made their escape, they said 
they were English, one of them lost his hat. — 
This morning the Interpreter return'd the 
following Number of Indians who wanted 

Provisions, (viz): ■ 

Hietans 80 Some of those Tribes 

Tawakenos 18 who live in the Vicin- 

Keychies 8 [ ty were here but 

Nabedaches 45 did not Apply for 

C add ° s 9 ° Provisions, they only 

Nandacos 34 ~ c 

T . Came to See the 

Inies 16 _ _ _ 

Nacogdochettos 24 Strangers who Never 

Chickesaws .4 were here before > 

and Never had been 

319 Seen by them. 

This day I Invited the Two great Tawakeno 

Chiefs to my House & entertained them, 

they Never were here before or had seen 

any Officer or United States Agent. I ex- 


1807 

Aug* 14". 
Aug* 17": 


AND MONOGRAPHS 





52 


NATCHITOCHES 




press'd to them the Satisfaction I felt at 
receiving this friendly Visit from them; & 
that their Great Father & friend the Presi- 
dent of the United States would hear of it 
with Satisfaction also; in whose Name & as 
a Token of his friendship & good will to- 
wards them, I had a few things to present 
them. I then gave Each of them an officers 
full trim'd Regimental Coat, blue & Buff 
with appulets & Lace, each of them a Hat & 
Plume, a Shirt, a Gorget, On which I had 
engrav'd the Eagle, & the United States of 
America in words enclosing it, a Bragg} 7 , 
4 yds Binding, a Looking Glass, a Knife, & 
two parcels of vermilion, & to their two 
wives each of them, a Scarlet flap, a Pair 
of Scissors, 200 Wampum Beeds, 1 doz 
Needles, a Pair Ear Jewels, 4 02 Thread, 
a Snuff Box, a Handkf, a Looking Glass, 
2 y ds Callico, a Comb, & 4 0Z Vermilion, and 
Divided Amongst the Party of Tawakenoes, 
20 Hatchets, 10 hoes, 25 Knives, 9 Handkfs, 
8 Braggys or flaps, 3 oz Vermilion, 4 lb Beeds 
2 Pair Scissors, 2 doz Needles, 2 oz Thread, 
4 y v^aiiico, z Classes, z Lomos, c£ une 
Piece Red binding. 




INDIAN NOTES 



GIFTS TO INDIANS 


53 


[Page 24] I gave a particular friendly In- 
dian & his wife a Keychie Woman, he is 
brother to the Great Tawiache or Panis Chief 
had been here before he came as a Guide to 
the Strangers, the following Presents (viz) . 

1 Stroud Blanket, 1 Handkf. a Braggy, a 
Looking Glass, a Comb, 4 02 Vermilion 
J lb . BeedsaBell, a Tin Cup, 4y ds Binding, a 

Callico Shirt a Knife & a Corn Hoe. 

Same day Receiv'd the Keychie Chief and 
his Party, Gave them friendly Words, with 
Tobacco, Sweet drink &c. and the following 
Presents (viz) . for the Chief a Hat & Plume, 
a Scarlet Blanket, a Knife, a Parcel Ver- 
milion a looking Glass a Braggy, a Hatchet, 
a Hoe & a Handkf.-& divided amongst his 
party, 5 Braggys & flaps, 5 Knives, 5 Hoes, 

2 Pieces binding 2 lb Vermilion, 2 lb beeds 
2 Pair Scissors, 1 025 Thread 1 doz, Needles. 
Receiv'd at my House the whol of the 
Hietan Party with the 4 Great Chiefs and 
made them the following Presents, (viz. — 
for the four Chiefs & their wives, 4 Scarlet 
Coats, faced with Black Velvet & Trim'd 
with Large Plated Buttons, 4 Scarlet Blan- 
kets, 4 Bells, 4 lb Vermilion, 4 white III pt 


1807 

Aug* 17. 
18" 


AND M ONOGR APHS 





54 


NATCHITOCHES 


1807 
Aug* 18*. 


Blankets, 4 Tommehawk Pipes, 4 lb Beeds 
4 Tin Cups. 4 Pieces Binding 4 Pair 
Scissors 2 02 Thread, 4doz. Needles, 2 doz. 
Knives, 8 fire Steels, 3 doz flints 4 lb Pow- 
der, 8 lb Lead, 2 Guns, 1 Pair Bullet Molds, 
one United States flag. And for the Party 
divided amongst them by the Interpreter,- 
40 stroud & white Blankets, 52 flaps & 
Braggys, 52 Knives, 40 Tin Cups, 8 lb 
Beeds, 4 Pieces Binding 20 Hatchets, 20 
fire Steels, 4 doz. flints, 14 Horse Bells, 52 
Handkfs, 1 lb Thread, 4 doz Needles, 14 Pair 

Scissors. 

As the Hietans were about taking their 
departure after receiving their presents, 
the Principal Chief produced a Spanish 
Flag and Lay'd it down at my feet, and de- 
sired the Interpreter to tell me, "that he 
receiv'd that Flag from Gov 1 Cordero of 
S* Antonio, & wish'd now to exchange it 
for a flag of the United States, that it might 
be known in their Nation 
[ Page 25 ] I told him we were not at War 
with Spain and had no disposition to offend 
them, Otherwise I should have Anticipated 
his request by Presenting him with a 




INDIAN NOTES 



I 



THE HIETANS 


55 


United States flag before, but it might 
offend the Spanish Gov* and be in the end 
disadvantageous to them; he said "they 
were very desirous of having Our Flag and 
it was the Same to them whether Spain was 
pleas'd or displeas'd and if I would give 
him One it Should wave through all the 
Hietan Nation, and they would all die in 
defence of it before they would part with it, 
I had a flag brought which Major Freeman 
had left with me, I first rap'd it round My- 
selfe, gave it to him he did the Same, & 
embraced it with Great earnestness in Pre- 
sence of all his People, and a Number of 
other Chiefs haranging them at the Same 
time in a Loud Voice, I at the Same time 
Presented him with an Elegant Belt which 
I had worn myselfe, & took it off & put it 
on him which had a good Effect, as it was 
done in Presence of a Large Number of In- 
dians of different Nations. 

I ' augmented the Presents to the Hietans 
by the advice of Cap* Pike who was then 
here, who inform'd me that on his Tour he 
was Instructed if he could fall in with Any 
party of Hietans to hold a treaty with them 




AND MONOGRAPHS 





56 


NATCHITOCHES 


1807. 

August 18" 


and make them Some presents, that Our 
Gov 1 were desirous of being in Amity with 
them, & this he believ'd was the first 
Occasion that had ever Offered to Any 
Officer or Agent of the United States to 
affect it, their loosing so Many Horses 
likewise while they were here was another 
Consideration; and I was determined they 
should not go away dissatisfied if by any 

reasonable Means I could avoid it. 

I regretted that it was not in my power to 
have taken a Vocabulary of their Language, 
there were so many different Nations here 
at the Same time I was Incessantly Occupied 
Amongst them, and had no good Interpreter 
of their Language, & the Chief assured me I 
Should have Another Opportunity. 
[Page 26] At a meeting of the Chiefs and 
Head Men of the following Nations of In- 
dians at a Grand Council held at Natchi- 
toches the Eighteenth day of August 1807. 
(viz) Hietans, Caddos, Tawakenoes, Nanda- 
cos,Nabedaches, Keychies, Inies, and Aiche, 
all being met & Seated in the Great Council 
Room, the Calumet & Council fire lighted, 




INDIAN NOTES 



SPEECH TO INDIANS 


57 


I delivered to them the following talk. 

Brothers, 

By Arangements with France 
and Spain two Nations beyond the great 
Water we the people of the United States 
have become your Neighbours, and all the 
great Country Called Louissiana as formerly 
Claim'd by France now belongs to us, the 
President of the United States the great 
friend & father of all the Red people Assures 
you he is your friend and will Continue to 
be so, so long as you are his friends, & friends 
to the People of the United States. It is 
now so long since our Ancestors came from 
beyond the great Water that we have no 
remembrance of it, we ourselves are Natives 
of the Same land that you are, in other 
words white Indians, we therefore Should 
feel & live together like brothers & Good 
Neighbours, we Should do no harm to One 

Another but all the good in our power. 

Brothers, the boundaries between Our 
Country and Spain are not yet fixed, we 
therefore do not know how far towards the 
Setting Sun Our Limits will extend; but you 
may rest Assured that whether the Country 




AND MONOGRAPHS 





58 


NATCHITOCHES 


1807 
Aug. 18" 


that you inhabit falls within Our Bounda- 
ries or not, it will always be Our wish to be 
at peace & friendship with you; we are not 
at war with Spain, we therefore do not wish, 
or Ask you to be less their friends for being 
Ours, the World is wide enough for us all, 
and we Ought all of us to live in it like 
brothers, 

Brothers, I think I ought to Caution you 
Against Opening Your Ears to the bad 
talks of Any people whatever who may 
[Page 27] Wish to make us enemies; but be 
always perswaded that we have not Come to 
this Country to do harm to Any of our Red 

brethren, but to do them good. 

It is the wish of your great & good Father 
the President of the United States, that all 
his red Children should live together in 
peace And Amity with one Another, that 
all their paths may be Clean, that there may 
be no more wars between them, that their 
Children may Multiphy, & their women no 
more fear the Tommehawk of an enemy. 
Brothers, I am well pleas'd with this friendly 
visit from you, as you have come a long 
Journey to see your New Neighbours, it is 




INDIAN NOTES 



SPEECH TO INDIANS 


59 


my wish that you rest yourselves a few days 
& Accept of Our hospitality in Such as we 
have to offer you, and a few Presents which 
I shall present you in the name of your 
great Father the President of the United 
States, as a token of his good Will towards 
you; and as you have now found the way 
here, you will be enclin'd to come again, 
and that we shall find we can trade together 
for our mutual advantage, you will always 
find here Such articles of Merchandize as 
you may want, for which you can exchange 
your Horses, Mules, Robes, and Silver Ore, 
and when any of our people visit you in 
your own Country you will receive them 
as friends, as we will any of your nation who 
visit us, I should be glad that some of you 
would go some days Journey farther into our 
Country, that you may know more of it, 
and be better Acquainted with our people, 
your great father the President would be 
glad to see you 

Brothers, these are the Words I have 
to say to you, when you return to your 
friends, tell them we take them all by 




AND MONOGRAPHS 





60 


NATCHITOCHES 


1807 
Aug* 18" 


the hand, repeat to them our words and 

forget us not. 

[Page 28] The first Tawakeno Chief replied, 
" Time will determine whether this days Talk 
will prove true, as for us, I believe we all 
have the Same Opinion about it, I am well 
pleas'd with your Words which you have 
this day Spoken to us, they Shall not be 
lost, we will Carry them home with us to our 
Nation and repeat them to Our Women & 
Children, there shall be none Amongst us 
who shall not know them, it will gladden their 
hearts to hear them as it now does ours, as 
we have now Visited you it would afford us 
great Satisfaction if some of your Nation 
would Visit us, that we might become 
better acquainted, and afford us an Oppor- 
tunity to prove the truth of our professions, 
and we Invite them to Come & trade with 
us, it is not our Custome to Sell provisions 
to our friends who visit us like some other 
Nations, & when Any of your people come to 
see us the} 7 will find it so. 

But there is a Man of your Nation, he 
comes from Nacogdoches who is a trader 
Amongst us, he is too dear with his goods. 




INDIAN NOTES 



HIETAN SPEECH 


61 


If he is one of your Nation Cant you write 
him a letter a direct him not to impose so 
much upon us, and make him sell his goods 
to us Cheaper. 

I replied to him that I knew Nothing of 
that man If he belonged to Nacogdoches, 
that though he might have been born 
Amongst us they Should now regard him as a 
Spaniard, and If he had turn'd Spaniard we 
would have Nothing to do with him. but I 
trusted when any of our people who were 
fitted out from this place should come 
Amongst them as traders they would have 
no Cause to complain of them.— 

An Hietan Said " their best Speaker was 
absent he went out to where their Horses 
were put, & had not return'd. 

"From the Moment (said he) we heard of 
the Americans being Arriv'd at this place 
we were determined to come & see them our 
New Neighbours; and we are now all of us 
highly pleas'd that we have Come, on Our 
way we fell in with Some of Our 'friends who 
came Along to Accompany us, we are in 

TTtTOT-if- r\+ IVr PTPn q nri 1 7P n"nH minll hp A I'wqat'Q 

WdllL \JL J_VJLClL.lldilU.lZiC dllU. Olldll UC jrYLW&yZ) 

[Page 29] Glad to trade with you on friendly 


1807 

Aug*. 18" 


AND MONOGRAPHS 





I 



62 


NATCHITOCHES 




terms, and now we have found the way & see 
that you have every thing we want we 

Shall probably visit you again. 

The Keychie Chief. 

The first messenger you Sent to the Panis 
our friends Informed us you were here, 
and that you wish'd to see some of all 
those Nations who hVd at a distance. 
Since that time it has been Our determina- 
tion to come & see you we have Accordingly 
made you this friendly visit, to let you 
know our wants & to see how we can be 
Servisable to each Other, I am charm'd with 
the words which I have heard you this day 
Speak, & that I have heard them myselfe 
from your Own Mouth, & in your own House 
for I am now Standing before you on your 
own Floor, although I live in the domin- 
ion of Another Nation, that makes no 
difference, I receive your talk like a bro- 
ther, and wish to live with you in future in 
peace & friendship as good Neighbours, 
and I promise you that our Nation Shall 
be the last who will transgress the treaty 
Oi inis day . i nope u e onan oe Deiier 
Acquainted, that we Shall trade together 




INDIAN NOTES 



CADDO SPEECH 


63 


for our Mutual Advantage, and when you 
know our wants will be able to be of service 

to us. 

The Great Caddo Chief. 

"These Strangers who were never before 
here have through me heard much of you, 
P was happy in having an Opportunity to 
Accompany them hither, and to witness 
that you have receiv'd & treated them as I 
told them you would. It gives me great 
Satisfaction to find that none of them Can 
Say I have deceiv'd them; but had I not 
have made you this Visit as a duty I owed 
my friend, to bear them Company, I should 
have been Compell'd to have come from 
Another cause. The Tribes my Allies and 
friends Complain of me for the peace I 
made with the Chactas, they say it was of 
my Own Accord. I wish now to convince 
them the Contrary 

[Page 30] That Changing Our father made 
it Necessary, & that I acted in Obedience 
to your wish. I have explain'd to my 
friends the Conditions of the treaty, that 
whoever broke it Should make restitution. 
The Chactas have broke it by committing 


1807 

Aug*. 18". 


AND MONOGRAPHS 





64 


NATCHITOCHES 




two Murders, and we have come here this 
day to see whether the treaty is to be 

fulfilled or not. 

I explained to them the Necessity of the 
Peace that it was made on fair & honourable 
terms for their general good, that it was the 
Wish of their great & good Father the Presi- 
dent of the U. S. that all his red Children 
Should be at peace with One Another, & 
that as soon as I was inform'd that two Nan- 
daco Women had been killed by a party of 
Chactas, I sent & Collected together all 
the Chiefs and head Men of that Nation 
that were to be found on this Side of the 
Missisippi. they Assembled here. I repre- 
sented to them in the Strongest terms, the 
Unprovok'd Barbarous, & Cowardly Act 
that had been Committed by a party of 
Chactas from the great Nation, they all 
disavow'd the Act, were Alarm'd & dis- 
tress'd at it; I proposed to them to send 
immediately Messengers to the Caddo 
Nation, with friendly Assurances, and dis- 
claiming all knowledge or Approbation of 
the Murders, and that they Should do all 
they Could to have restitution made 




INDIAN NOTES 



PEACE ADVISED 


65 


Agreeable to the Stipulations of the treaty, 
and that the Chactas that were here met 
seem'd to feel an equal degree of resent- 
ment Against the Violators of their Peace 
with the Caddos & Nandacos themselves, 
And that the Chief Chechemastubby was Ap- 
pointed to repair to the great Nation with 
the Accusation Against the Murderers 
who had fled thither, he did set off, was 
taken Sick, the Waters were high & 
travelling was difficult, & I thought they 
Ought to have patience Some time longer, 
& not make the Innocent Suffer for the 
Guilty, and that I had heard that that 
party who Committed the Murders were 
by the great Nation deem'd Vagabones, 
and it was probable they might not make a 

National affair of it. — ■ 

[Page 31] The Chief replied, "that he 
thought there had been time enough Since 
the Murders were Committed to have had 
Something done about it, that he Could 
readily believe they were Vagabones; but 
they were their own Vagabones, and that 
Other' Nations punish'd Such Vagabones in- 
stead of protecting them, but he had been 


1807 

Aug* 18" 


AND MONOGRAPHS 





66 


NATCHITOCHES 




Inform'd that the Leader of that Party 
(Called Stamelachee) had not long Ago been 
Commissioned by the American Gov*, a 
Chief. And Unless the Chactas gave him up 
& had him Punished it must be regarded as 
the Act of the Nation; but they would how- 
ever Agree to wait three Moons longer, or 
Untill Cold Weather, & untill then he would 
be Answerable for it that no Mischief Should 
be done them; but if Satisfaction was not 
then Made he would be Answerable no 

longer, to which they all Assented. — 

After which a general Conversation was 
held upon the Subject of Some of the Chiefs 
visiting the U. S. the Hietan & Tawakeno 
Chiefs say'd they were willing to go, but they 
Could not then, their people were waiting 
for them at the Trinity River & they must 
return to them; but if the Caddo Chief 
would fix On a time and let them know it they 
would Come & go with him. The Caddo 
Chief had the Old Objection that Our 
affairs with Spain were Still Unsettled, & 
in addition to which, the difference with the 
Chactas ( would prevent his leaving mome, 
but declar'd his desire was to go, & that If 




INDIAN NOTES 



THE CONCHETTA 


67 


the Other Chiefs were ready he would go 
with them. 

The Caddo Chief with Several of his 
people have been detained in Getting their 
Guns repair'd. I gave them as they were 
Setting off this day pounds of flour and 
the Chief 10 lb powder & 20 lb . Lead. 
[ Page 32] This day William Rollings who I 
employ'd to go with a Message to the Con- 
chetta Village Near the Accokesaws return'd 
& reports that he delivered, my Message to 
the Chiefs, Invided them to come to Natchi- 
toches and bring along with them the Indian 
who killed Oneal; and told them it was our 
wish as they well knew to be in peace & 
Amity with all People & to deal Justly 
with them. — 

They sent by Rollings the following 
Message "That they were fully sensible of 
Our goodness towards them, and were 
■ 'greatly distressed at what had happened 
" and they would never let go our hands or 
"throw away Our talks; but they had been 
"sent for by Governor Cordero of S* 
/\iitonio, <x nau promisea. to go a oee mm, 
"they did not know for what; but that they 


Aug* 21" 
1807 

Sept r 1 st 


AND MONOGRAPHS 





68 


NATCHITOCHES 


Sept r 8" 


"would Come to Natchitoches as soon as 
"they returned from S* Antonio and do their 
' 'endeavour to have every thing Settled; 
"but they Could not then think of giving up 
"the Young Man who had Committed the 
Murder the fact they did not pretend to 
deny; Rollings Said that he found the Village 
On the Sabine nearly Abandoned, a few 

Old Women Only were there. 

John Homo a Chickesaw Chief Arriv'd with 
about Thirty Warriors, and Complain'd 
that the Conchettas of the upper Village 
on Red River had Stolen from him in Feb- 
ruary last, on Red River in the Country of 
the Caddos Sixty Shav'd Deer Skins, and 
One hundred Unshav'd Ones, & Two Horses, 
the whol Valued at two hundred dollars, 
he requested I would Inform them that If 
they did not Return the Horses, and deliver 
to me within three Months as Many Skins of 
equal Value that he and his Warriors were 
determined to take Satisfaction of them, — 
I had receiv'd a letter from M r Treat of 
Arkensa Some time ago on the Same Sub- 

lopf [Ann T— i/~ityi /~i o nn hie Po rf tt^ota frmnrr o 
JCLL. J Ullll XjLUHIU dllU. 111b 1 dl L) v\ Cl C gUlilg d 

Trading & hunting voyage into the [ Page 33 ] 




INDIAN NOTES 



VARIOUS VISITORS 


69 


Spanish Country, I gave them Some Pro- 
visions & agreable to his request a Certifi- 
cate of his having Notified tome formally the 

Robbery of the Conchettas. — 

Tuscatoga the Chacta Chief Arriv'd with 
whitemeat, and a Number of Other War- 
riors. The Chief Inform'd me that in Con- 
sequence his brother Chechemastubby , being 
taken Sick he had dispatched Another 
Messenger to the great Nation in his place, 
for the purpose of Obtaining for the Caddo 
Chief the satisfaction he demanded, and 
had Particularly Instructed him to Urge 
the giving up the Leader of the Party who 

committed the Murders. — 

I gave Tuscatoga 6 lb powder & 12 lb Lead, 
and the Sword that I took away from 

Tombolin, & Some Provisions. 

A Panie & a Hietan Indian Arriv'd as 
runners to give Notice that a Party of each 
Nation with their great chiefs were on the 

way & would be here tomorrow. '■ — 

The Panies & Hietans Arriv'd, the Inter- 
preter reported the whol Number to be 
Seventy four, I gave them Some Provisions, 
Tobacco & Cooking Kittles. 


1807 

Sept r 26". 

Oct r 14 
15". 


AND MONOGRAPHS 





70 


NATCHITOCHES 


16** 


I entertain'd the four Hietan Chiefs at my 
House and made them the following Pre- 
sents, viz — - 

4 Scarlet Blankets,, 4 Shirts, 4 Hats & 
Plumes, 4 Braggys, 8 02 Vermilion. 4 

Combs, 4 Looking Glasses. 

And at the Same time to the two Panis 
Chiefs, 2 Shirts, 2 Braggys, 2 Scarlet 
Blankets. 2 Looking Glasses, 2 Combs, 
4 02 Vermilion 


18" 


Received the whol Hietan Party at my 
House. & Presented the Chief with a Medal, 
on which was engrav'd a representation of 
the Eagle Encircled in the Words, " United 
States of America I met them with it Sus- 
pended with a Broad Ribbon to my own 
Xeck, took it off myself e hung it on the Chief, 
it had a good effect. 


1807 


[ Page 34 ] I made the Hietans the following 


Oct 1 18* 


Presents, (viz) for the four Chiefs. 
4 Stroud Blankets. 4 White Ditto. 4 Guns, 
8 lb Powder. 16 lb Balls, 16 flints, 4 fire 
Steels. 8 Knives. 4 Tomehawk Pipes. 1 lb 
Vermilion, 4 Braggys. 4 Pieces of Binding, 
4- "RpIIn 4 Tin Pirns and for seven °reat Men 
of the Nation. 7 Blankets. 14 knives. 2 Ib 




INDIAN NOTES 



PRESENTS 


71 


Vermilion, 7 Handkfs, 7 Tin Cups, 7 fire 
Steels, 7 Braggys, 

7 Pieces binding, & 7 Combs and the follow- 
ing Articles divided Amongst the remainder 
of the party (viz)— 12 Knives, 10 Hat- 
chets, 10 Pair Scissors, 1 lb Thread, 100 
Needles, 2 lb Vermilion, 2i lb Beeds, 12 
Blankets, 17 Yards Callico, 10 flaps, 10 
Handkfs, 2 Pieces & 6 Y ds Binding— 10 
Looking Glasses, 10 Combs, & 2 Tin Cups. 
I gave thePanis the following Presents, (viz) 
to the great Chief Called the Tawiache 
Chief who is the first Man in the Nation, a 
Medal, the Same as the one I gave the Hie- 
tan Chief, One Handsome Welted Philadel- 
phia made Saddle, & a handsome Officers 
Uniform Coat, anc[ to the Panis & Witcheta 
Chiefs each of them a Uniform Coat and to 
the three Chiefs 3 Guns, 3 Shirts, 9 lb 
Powder, 18 lb Lead, 24 flints, 6 knives, 3 
Tommehawk Pipes, 1 lb Vermilion, 3 White 
Blankets, 3 Braggys, 3 Handkfs, 1 Piece 
binding, 3 Tin Cups, 3 Steels, 3 Bells. 
And for the grand Chiefs Son 1 B]anket 
ly d Callico, 1 knife, 1 Tobacco Box, \ lh 
Beeds, 1 Looking Glass, & 1 Tin Cup. 


Oct r 25". 


AND MONOGRAPHS 





72' 


NATCHITOCHES 


1807 


And for another Panis Chief, Brother of the 
Great Chief, 1 Gun, 3 lb Powder, 6 lb 
Balls, 8 flints, 1 Tommehawk Pipe, 1 
Handkf, & 1 Bell 

[ Page 35 ] Gave to the Panis Party divided 
Amongst them 

I Gun, 3 Shirts, 33 Blankets, 34 Knives, 
21 fire Steels, 19 flints 22 Tin Cups, 4 lb 
Vermilion, 3 Pieces Binding, 30 Small 
Glasses, 34 Braggys & flaps, 1 Artilery 
Uniform Coat (for the Chiefs brother) 

II Shawls & Handkfs, 13 Pair Scissors, 
19J y ds Callico, 1 Bell, 2 Carrots Tobacco, 
11 Combs, 11 Bunches Beeds, 11 Hatchets, 
5 Hoes, and One Barrel Flour, & one Barrel 
Corn divided Amongst them. 

The following is the Substance of a talk I 
held with the Hietans & Panis, they were all 
Present, one of the Hietans Speaking 
tolerable well the Spanish tongue the Con- 
versation with them was in that Language, 
the Indian said he learn'd it in Mexico 
when he was young where he liv'd several 
years. 

"r-iii.ii t iir /~\ a * a 

I told them I was glad of an Opportunity 
of being Acquainted with them, that we had 




INDIAN NOTES 



HIETANS AND PANIS 


73 


heard Much of them that the President of 
the U. S. the great Father of all the red 
people was their friend, and all the Ameri- 
can people were so to, & we wish to be 
Acquainted with them that we might know 
how we Could be usefull to each Other. 
Should they think proper to come here to 
trade they would always be able for Such 
Articles as they would have to dispose of to 
procure what they wanted & always receive 
a kind & friendly reception, and that when- 
ever any of our people Visited them, they 
would receive them as friends and treat 
them as we would them when they came to 
See us. Advis'd them to Cultivate Peace 
with all Nations, & to Shut their ears 
Against the Bad Talk of Any people who 
might endeavour to make us at enmity with 
each Other, that I had a few things to 
present them with, in the Name of the 
President of the U. S. their great father, 
and requested that when they returned to 
their friends, they would tell them that we 
took them all by the hand, and hop'd to be 
better Acquainted with each Other. — 




AND MONOGRAPHS 





74 


NATCHITOCHES 


1807 

This is the 
Chief and 
party the 
same Hord 
that. Mr. 
Lewis Saw 
Near the 
Panis Na- 
tion, which 
he believes 
consisted of 
near 3,000 
souls. 


[Page 36] The great Chief desir'd the Inter- 
preter to tell me, that " they had come a long 
"way to see us, that from the Panis & some 
"other Nations they had heard we were a good 
"people and much of us, that they had Come 
"without bringing Anything to trade for they 
"did not know what we wanted that they 
"came Just to See & Satisfy themselves If it 
"was true what they had heard of us, & he 
"was glad to find that it was all true; but they 
"found it a great Journey quite too far to 
"come Often, he wish'd we could send some 
"traders Amongst them & they should be 
"well treated, that Horses & Mules were to 
"them like grass they had them in Such 
"plenty they had likewise dress'd Buffalo 
"Skins & knew where there was Silver Ore 
"plenty; but there was A Nation of Bad 
"Indians (Ozages) who gave them much 
"trouble & vexation; and they were more 
"formidable to them On Account of their 
"having Arms & they (the Hietans) having 
"None, & that One Motive for their coming 
here was to see if they Could get Arms he 

wp vptv Sotta 7 " tVip^T - f^nnlrl tint Iiavp r-roffpn 

a few More; that some of the Nations of 




INDIAN NOTES 



j 



TRADE INVITED 


75 


Red people who liv'd Nearer to us, bought 
goods of us & brought them Amongst them 
to trade off at a very great profit, they would 
demand of them a Horse or a Mule for a 
Narrow Strip of Scarlet Cloth, or a Small 
Parcel of Vermilion, he believ'd they 
Should try to come again; but Whether 
it would be in the Spring or later in the Sea- 
son he could not then tell they wanted to 
try to procure More Arms to Use in their 
Own defence only, they did not want them 
for killing their Meat, they could do that 
with the Spear or the Bow. Some Picks 
or Mattocks would likewise be Particularly 
Usefull to them, in Digging up Silver Ore 
[Page 37] And making trenches round their 
tents to prevent the water from flowing in 
upon them in times of Heavy rain; that they 
Should return & Meet their friends highly 
gratified with their Visit, & Carry Our 
talk with them and that in future we 
Should know one Another only as friends, he 
had heard of a Party of their Nation having 
lately Visiting Us & returning greatly 
pleas'd but that, that Band liv'd farther 


1807 


AND MONOGRAPHS 





76 


NATCHITOCHES 




to the South generally than they did, they 
did not know Much of them. 

I told them if they return'd here Next 
year and brought plenty of Horses, Mules, 
Buffalo Robes & Silver Ore, they would 
be able to procure as Many Guns, & Mat- 
tocks as they wanted, for these things are 
very plenty in our Country. 

The Chiefs all express'd a desire to have 
Such Coats as those I gave the Panis 
Chiefs,, and a United States flag; but I 
had none nor Could I procure any. 

They all took their departure. 

As the Hietans differ in Character & habits 
from any other Nation I have ever seen, 
I will devote a Page or two in noticing some 
of their Peculiarities; 32 They are rather 
Barbarians than Savages, as they are dis- 
tinguished by Doctor Rush, they live Most 
entirely upon the flesh of Wild Beef (Buffalo) . 
they Plant Nothing, Seldome kill Deer or 
any other Game, Buffalo excepted, they 
have no Particular place of residence; but 
when they hear of a flock of Buffalo, Strike 
their Tents & travel after them, & to dis- 
cover them always have reconoitering 




INDIAN NOTES 



HIETAN CUSTOMS 


77 


Parties Out, they use fire Arms only in War, 
they kill the Buffalo either with the Spear or 
the Bow & Arrow, & Mostly with the latter, 
they are Dexterous Horsemen, they ride in 
Amongst a flock of Buffalo with their Bow 
in their hand, Single Out the One they 
Intend to Kill, ride Along side of [Page 38] 
him and drive the Arrow through him, the 
Animal Bellows, runs a small distance and 
falls, they Catch & drink the blood as it 
flows, tear out the Liver and eat it Raw 
while it is yet warm, and it is said they eat 
the Gall with it by way of Condiment, which 

they esteem a Luxury. 

They have great Numbers of Horses and 
Mules, some of which are Wild Ones Caught 
by them & domesticated; but they are 
Mostly rais'd by themselves; Many of 
them are remarkably fine fornrd large 
Animals, Strongly Mark'd with Arabian 
features; It is impossible to form an esti- 
mate of how Numerous the whol Nation is, 
that Can have Any pretention to Accuracy; 
they are divided into Many Hordes or 
Bands Containing from two to four or nve 
thousand Souls, they may not exceed 


1807 


AND MONOGRAPHS 





78 


NATCHITOCHES 




Thirty or forty thousand Souls, and they 
may jexceed half a Million, they wander over 
an immence Space of Country, from the 
Vicinity of S*. Antonio to the Missouri 
River from South to North, & from east 
to West from the Country of the Panis 
on Red River to the Pacific Ocean, they 
have Such Numbers of Horses and Mules 
which they Seldome Suffer to go Out of 
sight of their Camps, they can remain but 
a few days at the Same place, are but Ob- 
lig'd to move to a place of fresh pasture; 
every family has a Tent of a Conic form 
made of dress'd Buffalo Skins and they are 
Very dexterous in Pitching as well as 
Striking them and preparing to move when 
the Word is given they carry the Poles as 
well as the Tents always Along with them 
One Horse or a Mule is alotted to Carry 
the Poles & Another the Tent. They 
seem Subservient to the Commands of their 
Chiefs, who give their Orders as though they 
had a right to expect obedience. The 
trade of this Nation is Horses, Mules, 
dress'd Buffalo Skins & Silver Ore Some 
of the Men dress in very handsome Leather 




INDIAN NOTES 



HIETAN CUSTOMS 


79 


hunting Shirts, ornamented with Beeds & 
fringe, Pink'd & Scallop 'd, some of a flesh 
Colour, Others of different [ Page 39] Shades 
of Red and Purple, and nearly as Soft and 
beautifully dress'd as Morocco, the Women 
seem in the Most Abject & degraded State of 
Servility, they Appear to be Constantly and 
Laboriously employ'd In dressing Buffalo 
Skins, Painting and Ornamenting them with 
a Variety of Colours & figures, making their 
own & their Husbands dresses, Collecting 
feuel, Attending & guarding their Horses 
& Mules, in Cooking, Making Leather 
Halters & Ropes, Making & repairing their 
Tents, & making their riding & Pack 

Saddles &c. &c. 

The Married Women are Seldome Accus'd 
of Incontinancy but If Convicted they are 
Mutilated, by Slitting their Nose or ears, 
they all Cut off their Hair when Married 
almost Close to their heads, and Plat it into 
the Hair of their husbands, and Some of the 
Chiefs who wear in that manner the* Hair 
of Twelve or fourteen Wives at the Same 
time, are almost Covered Over with Plats 
hanging almost to the ground, and so thick 


1807 


AND MONOGRAPHS 


1 



80 


NATCHITOCHES 


1807 


a top smear'd over with grease & a redish 
Coloured Clay as a Substitute for Vermilion, 
that they Could Scarsely wear a Hat of 
Double the Ordinary Size. I gave one of 
them a Handsome Hat & Plume with which 
he was greatly pleas'd; but he was Oblig'd 
to Wear his hat in his hand, like an Euro- 
pean Beau of the last Century; the men are 
Generally very large, Muscular and Some 
of them remarkably fat, & I have Seen two 

with Natural deformities. — — 

The Complexion of this Nation is fairer 
than that of Any Other of the Numerous 
Tribes I have ever seen. Many of the 
Women have light Brown or Auburn Hair 
& Blue or light Grey Eyes, I saw some that 
were So white I Suspected they were not 
pure Hietan blood, and mentioned my Sus- 
picions to a Chief, he said he believ'd they 
possess'd no Mixture of Blood, one of them 
a Young Woman with long light hair Over- 
heard the Conversation; She Blush'd and 
hid her face, the Chief apologis'd for her, by 
Saying she knew [Page 40] What we were 
talking about and was iVsham'd of her White 
Skin; I saw some that were married that did 




INDIAN NOTES 



HIETAN CUSTOMS 


81 


not appear to be more than Eleven or twelve 
years Old, and I understood it was Common 
for them to marry at that Age. I saw one 
who had a Child that look'd like a Child 
herselfe, the Men do not Marry so young in 
Proportion; The Women generally wear a 
long robe made of dress'd leather that 
reaches from their Chin to their feet, and 
all that I have seen of them have a dirty 
111 appearance. Neither Men nor Women are 
in the Habit of Bathing like Other Indians; 
and they seem indifferent about those 
Common Articles of finery that Other 
Indians are fond of, Blue & Red Stroud, 
Vermilion, Blankets, Blue Beeds & knives, 
are almost the Only Articles they Seem 
Anxious to obtain. Jewelry, Callico, 
Handkfs. Binding, Ribbands &c they care 
Nothing about, they are like all Other 
Indians fond of Tobacco, but will not taste 
Ardent Spirits; but are fond of a Sweet 
drink made of Melasses or Honey & Water; 
but were Afraid to drjnk that till I 
Assured them it would not make them 
Drunk, and by drinking of it myselfe 
before them. They all wanted Salt to eat 




AND MONOGRAPHS 





82 


NATCHITOCHES 


1807 
Nov. 10" 


with their fresh Beef, the Country they 
Occupy abounding with Salt Springs, they 
are of course accustomed to the Use of it. — 
Many years ago I have heard of their being 
White Indians on Some of the Head Waters 
of the Missouri, their Speaking the Welsh 
Language, & having Amongst them the 
Welsh Bible, is it not probable the Allusion 
might have been to this Nation? Their 
Language is guttural, figurative, & full of 
Gesture, they Can hold long conversations 
together by Sighns Only. I am not able at 
present to Say what resemblance their 
Language Bears to the Welsh, nor have I 
any information of their having a Bible, And 
Unless their Country abounding with Wild 
Goats is an evidence of their Welsh extrac- 
tion, I know of none they can boast of, 
but never heard of their Claiming that 
honour. 

[ Page 41 ] Echean 33 the Chief of the upper 
Conchetta Village on Red River Arriv'd with 
a Party to trade in the factory. I had a long 
Talk with him about the Murder of Oneal and 
the Complaint of John Homo the Chickesaw; 
he believ'd them both to be true; but had 




INDIAN NOTES 



; 



THE CONCHETTAS 


83 


Seen none of the Conchettas from the 
Village on the Sabine Since the Murder 
was Committed, he likewise had understood 
that a Party of hunters of his Village had 
taken Some Skins belonging to the Chicke- 
saws; but he thought the Number was less 
than the Chickesaws represented, he said 
that Some Indians from the Village on the 
Sabine had some time Ago been to his 
Village to Perswade them to move off into 
the Spanish Country; but they had refus'd 
to listen to Any Such talk, he Appear'd 
much dissatisfied with the Conduct of his 
People, and Talk'd very rational, he said 
they were, fools that they all knew 7 Our 
goodness to them, and our power to Chas- 
tise them if they behav'd amiss, and that 
Nothing Should Change his determination 
of being always Governed by our advice & 
that he would immediately Send a talk to 
the Lower Village and Exhort them to Come 
in here immediately & bring the Murderer 
with them & Give him up, and If they would 
not take his advice, he would disown them 
& have no Connection with them, And 
as for the Affair of the Chickesaws they 




AND MONOGRAPHS 





! 

I 



84 


NATCHITOCHES 


1807 
Oct. 30th. 


Should have Justice done them, their 
Horses Should be restored to them or as 
good Ones given for them, and he would 
promise to deliver to me the Skins they 
demanded, though it was his belief they 
demanded More than they lost, but he did 
not think from their hunting Arangements 
they they should be Able to deliver them so 
soon as three Moons; but they should Cer- 
tainly Come as soon as they Could be 

Collected & got down. 

I have ever had reason to think well of 
this Chief, he is Sensible, quiet, & not 
addicted to drunkenness, made great efforts 
to oblige Major Freemas exploring party, & 
is thought well of by the Caddo Chief, on 

whose land they live. 

[ Page 42 ] In Consequence of Information 
receiv'd a few days Ago from Joseph Gillard 
esquire, (viz) that Louis Commonly called 
Louis Tensa the Appelaches Chief had lately 
return'd from the Spanish Country where 
he had been Invited, and that Since the 
Murder of Oneal by the Conchetta Indian, 
who are of the Same Nation, that Most of 
the Conchettas had withdrawn themselves 




INDIAN NOTES 



SPANISH RELATIONS 


85 


into the Dominions of Spain, that they 
had been sending War talks amongst 
Several of the Small & friendly tribes the 
object of which was to procure a Union 
Amongst them with Views Hostile to the 

United States. — 

I Employed William Rollings to go to 
the Appelaches Village, to procure all the 
information he Could relative to the above 
reports, & bring up with him Flootka the 
Principal Man of the Village & two or three 
Other Leading Characters In Order that 
measures might be taken to prevent any 

such union or improper combination. 

William Rollings Return'd & brought with 
him Flootka Baptiste his Son in Law & the 
Gunstocker, with whom I had a friendly 
Conversation, I told them what I had heard 
and of the Conversation I had had with 
Echean, the Chief of the upper Village 
on the Same Subject, with his determina- 
tion, and my reasons for wishing to See 
them. I pointed Out to them the 111 
consequence of listening to any bad talks. 
Flootka said " there was Some truth in 
the reports I had heard, Blam'd Louis 


paid him 
Ten Dollars 

Nov* V 


INDIAN NOTES 





86 


NATCHITOCHES 


1807. 


Tensa, & Accus'd him of Acting dishonestly, 
that An Attempt had been made to draw 
them off into the Dominions of Spain, & 
that the Milage had been divided in Opinion 
about it, but that Since Rolling's arrival 
at the Village with my Message the Opinion 
was nearly Unanimous Against it, that 
they were now more than ever Convinced 
of Our friendliness towards them and that 
for the future I might rely on it they should 
shut their ears Against all Such Talks from 
Any quarter whatever 
[ Page 43 ] And place their whol reliance On 
Us, that this Visit & talk had given them the 
greatest Satisfaction, and ended with Assur- 
ances of their entire confidence in us, And 
that Should Any bad talks be brought 
Amongst them they would immediately 
let me know it. And that they would as 
much as the Could discourage Spiritous 
Liquors being brought Amongst them into 

their Village. 

I Gave them provisions while they were 
here and Sufficient to Carry them home & 
the following presents One Bottle Brandy, 
Some Tobacco, 3 III P x Blankets, 3 Tomme- 




INDIAN NOTES 



GIFTS TO INDIANS 


87 


hawk Pipes, 6 lb Powder and 12 lb Lead, & 




they sat off immediately home highly 




n!p?i Q^rl 




Paid three Dollars to a Negro for Tobacco 


26/ 


T bought of him 

X. kJ\J LXfi^XX C \J i. 111111 




TJoiiffht of Two Soldiers of Pan* Wol- 




cifinp'rnf ts PnTffTianv TiV hi^i Ppi*Trnc:cnr»Ti fnr 

o LX1XV_,X VyX L iJ V^VJXXXLJCtXX V J—J V lllo X V/XXXXXDoAV^lX LVJX 




TnrKanc: fwn "NTpw Arfilprv Priat^ for wniph 

XXXlXXCX-lXo L VVvy -Llll^VV X 11 U1W V V_/\yCtCO XVyX VVllxV^Xl 




T cavp fwn TP Point Tila nlrpt<5 for ppph 

X gCvVC L VV XX X UJUL XJ XCtX±xS.C L3 LV*X Cdl^ll 




of thpm and Oavp a lYTnsician who had a 

v/x cxxv-^xxx cxxxvx v_j a v \x xrx uoi^iiiii vvxxvy xicx-vi <x 




nprrni c^iori tn SpII a Poat "foiir T^ollarQ ppciii 

LJCxxxxx.3i3J.\JXl LU OCH <X V_^\JClt Lv/U.1 X_/lJlxCLlo V-dOxx 




for Anotnpr for an TnrHaTi 

J.KJX iixilj LxxCl 1U1 CllL xxxU-ldxl. 




IRpcpivpd notirp that thp Ponchettas wprp 


Deer 30" 


On their way to Natchitoches on a friendly 




Visit for the rnimosp of Settling" all Exist- 

V XOXC AVl UXXV-' VJ 1 LJ KJ O \^ \J L KJ \s K> UllJ.lt CLXX UAlOt 




ino" diflfipnltips hut had convpv'd thp 

XXX£^ VXllll^ U.XLXV^Oj U LA L XXCl-vi L.W11 V V/J vl CXXv^ 




IVTnrrlprpr nf On pal Awav into thp ("Vppk 

A>X KA.JL IXV^X V^X \J 1 \_/Xl V^CtX i 1 VV CI V XXX Lv LXXV^ v^lLV^A 




Nation 

lid UXV^XX* 




With 




\7pr\7 rirpa f rPQTiPPt" &r pcitppm 




Your Ob* Hble Serv* 

X W LiX v_y U llUlt Utl V 




J UlxJN Ol±>-L-tL,Y 




Gen 1 Henry Dearborne 




Secretary of War. 




AND MONOGRAPHS 



88 


NATCHITOCHES 




NOTES 

1. On the establishment of the original fort 
at Natchitoches, see: Martin, Francois X., 
History of Louisiana, p. 117; Butel-Dumont, 
G. M., Memoirs (French's Historical Collec- 
tions of Louisiana, part v. pp. 1-125), p. 33; 
Stoddard, Amos, Sketches Historical and Des- 
criptive of Louisiana, p. 187; Cox, I. J., Loui- 
siana-Texas Frontier {Texas State Historical 
Association Quarterly, July, 1906), p. 9; Bolton, 
K, E., Athanase de Mezieres, vol. I, p. 37; 
Robertson, J. A., Louisiana Under Spain, France, 
and the United States, 1785-1807, vol. n, 
p. 153; Hodder, F. H.. ed., Pittman's Present 
State of the European Settlements on the 
Mississippi, p. 32. 

2. Sutton Vital Records to 1850, p. 154. 

3. Benedict, William A., and Tracy, Hiram 
A. ; History of Sutton, 1704-1876, pp. 722-723. 

4. Massachusetts' Soldiers and Sailors of the 
Revolutionary War, vol. xiv, p. 194; Heitman, 
Francis B., Historical Register of Officers of 
the Continental Army, 1775-1783. 

5. Taylor, Charles J., History of Great 
Barrington, p. 329. 

6. This was the year of the change of name 
from Campbelltown to Fayetteville (Wheeler, 
John H., Historical Sketches of North Carolina, 
p. 124). In Fayetteville, Flora MacDonald 
made a brief residence, returning to her old 
home in Scotland in 1790. 

7. Cox, I. J., Early Exploration of Louisiana, 
p. 37. Of Sibley's attitude towards his first 
wife, subsequent to his departure from Great 
Barrington, very little that is more than infer- 




INDIAN NOTES 



XT f~\ T' T7' O 

NOTES 


89 


ence has been obtainable. In the Jefferson 
Memorial building at St Louis are preserved by 
the Missouri Historical Society some of the 
papers of George C. Sibley, one of the offspring of 
Sibley 's New England marriage. In volume one 
of this collection is a letter from John Sibley to 
another son, Samuel Hopkins Sibley. It is dated 
from Natchez, February 28, 1803, and is redolent 
of fatherly advice. It enjoins on the boy filial 
affection and regard for his mother. Says the 
absent father, " ... do the best you can . . . 
for yourselfe and afford to your Mother & the 
children all the assistance & comfort in your 
power ..." In another volume, volume four, 
is a second letter from John to Samuel, breathing 
the same sentiments. It was written from 
Natchitoches, September 26, 1806. This is 
its conclusion: " God bless you — be as usefull 
as you Can to your Mother & the Children & I 
will repay you with Interest ..." Accord- 
ing to Benedict and Tracy, Doctor Sibley was 
thrice married (History of Sutton, p. 723), and 
left several children. Writing to his son, George 
p., from Natchitoches, October 29, 1821, he 
indicates that he has at the time, he being then 
sixty-four years of age, a daughter of six years, 
one of four years, and a baby boy of nine 
months (Sibley MSS., vol. i). 

8. For an exhaustive account of General 
Joseph Martin, frontiersman, see Weeks, 
Stephen B., General Joseph Martin and the War 
of the Revolution in theWest (American Histori- 
cal Association Report, 1893, pp. 403-477). 

9. The only scholarly treatment of the North 
Carolina Regulators is that of Professor John 
Spencer Bassett. It is based on a critical 




AND MONOGRAPHS 





90 


NATCHITOCHES 




examination of The Colonial Records of North 
Carolina, and is to be found in American Histori- 
al Association Report, 1894, pp. 141-212. 

10. Cox, Early Exploration of Louisiana, p. 

14. 

11. Sibley to Claiborne, October 10, 1803 
(Jefferson Papers, vol. 135). 

12. Cox, Early Exploration of Louisiana, 
p. 37. 

13. War Department Oct r 17, 1805 
Sir, 

You will herewith receive your Commission, 
for Indian Agent, for that part of the Territory 
of Orleans, West of the River Mississippi, 
under which your Pay, at the rate of $.1000 per 
Annum, and your Subsistence, at four rations 
per day, will commence on the first of July 
last. You will consequently make up your 
account for actual services in conformity to the 
tenor of my letter to you, of the 13th of Decem- 
ber 1804, until the 1st day of July ult, when 
your regular pay & subsistence will begin, for 
which your Bills on this Deptm*, drawn quar- 
terly, will be paid. — 

The Goods, for commencing a trade with the 
Indians in that quarter, will, I hope, arrive by 
the time this reaches you; — and should no Agent 
or Assistant arrive, as soon as the goods, I will 
thank you to have them carefully stored, in 
safe keeping, until one of them reaches Natchi- 
toches. 

The manuscript volume was duly received, at 
the Office of the Secretary of State, and is con- 
sidered valuable. I hope you will have suc- 
ceeded in quieting the minds of the Indians, 
towards the sea coast; and that you will have 




INDIAN NOTES 



NOTES 


91 


made proper impressions on them in the vicinity 
of St. Barnard. — 

It is the wish of the President of the United 
States that you should encourage a few of the 
Principal Chiefs of some of the considerable 
Tribes or Nations to make a visit to the seat of 
Government; and, if practicable, to induce the 
Great Chief of the Caddos to be of the party — A 
passport is herewith enclosed for them. You 
will fill up the Blank with the names of the 
Chiefs who may be selected to form the deputa- 
tion. The expense should not be extended be- 
yond what may be found absolutely necessary. 
The route you propose will probably be the best. 
Perhaps a passage in the stage from Augusta in 
Georgia to this place may be found practicable 
and convenient. In such case their horses may 
be left in Georgia until their return. It will 
be advisable for you to accompany the deputa- 
tion. We shall take measures for rendering 
their passage through the Indian Country, East 
of the Mississippi, safe and free from any bicker- 
ings with the Indians through whose territory 
they may pass. — I wish you to continue to 
forward every kind of information relative to 
the Indians & our other neighbors in that quarter. 

I presume your Son is, by this time, near his 
post, as Assistant Agent to the Facty at St. 
Louis. 

I am Sir &c. 

(Office of Indian Affairs, Letter Book B, 
pp. 122-123.) 

The manuscript volume to which reference is 
made in the foregoing was undoubtedly the same 
as that which, in a letter to Jefferson of date 




AND MONOGRAPHS 





92 


NATCHITOCHES 




August 9, 1805 (Jefferson Papers, vol. 151), 
Sibley spoke of as the copy of an old French 
manuscript which he intended to send to Madi- 
son. In a letter to J. S. Johnston (idem, vol- 
228), Jefferson later credited Sibley with having 
obtained for him De la Harpe's Journal. The 
references in the various letters are probably all 
to the same thing. See Gayarre, Charles, 
History of Louisiana, American Domination, 
p. 111. 

The "Son" of Doctor Sibley's to whom 
Dearborn refers was doubtless George C. 
Sibley, one of the children born at Great 
Barring ton (Taylor, History of Great Barring- 
ton, p. 329), the same who was for so long in 
official charge at Fort Osage. 

14. Note particularly the letter to Claiborne 
of date October 10, 1803, in which Sibley pro- 
fessed a minute knowledge of the rivers between 
the Mississippi and the Grand, or Neosho. 

15. American State Papers, Indian Affairs, 
vol. i, pp. 721-725. 

16. Idem, pp. 725-731. 

17. Cox seems to be of the opinion that any 
testimony furnished by Grappe, the interpreter, 
might well be vitiated since he was in the pay of 
Spain (Early Exploration of Louisiana, p. 52). 

18. Another supplement might be taken to 
be the subjoined article which in the form of a 
newspaper clipping was found pasted on the 
front inside cover of Indian Trade Letter Book, 
no. E (1818-1820). 




INDIAN NOTES 



NOTES 


93 


TEXAS INDIANS. 

The Cincinnati Gazette, received by this 
morning's mail, contains the following interest- 
ing statistical article on the Aborigines of Texas, 
written by an Indian agent lately resident at 
Natchitoches: if the information be correct, and 
we presume it is predicated on a data entitled 
to credit, it must at this time be acceptable to our 
readers, especially as this province, bordering 
our frontiers, has formed a prominent topic in 
the late Florida negotiation. It will be seen 
the total Indian population is here estimated at 
25,260, from amongst which, supposing a 
junction to take place, upwards of 4,000 warriors 
might take the field. 

Memorandum of Indian Tribes inhabiting the 
Province of Texas. 

Comanchees orl-etans — total population 12 to 
14,000; number of warriors 23 to 2500. This 
nation is divided into three parties or tribes, to 
wit: Comanchees, Yamparacks and Tenaways; 
are altogether erratic, range from the head 
waters of the Red river of Natchitoches to the 
Colorado of Texas; subsist for the most part on 
Buff aloe; are at war with the Spaniards, the 
Osage and the Tonkawas Indians; abound in 
mules and horses. 

Lapans — population 12 to 1300; number of 
warriors 200 to 250; these are also erratic but 
more confined in their migrations; are generally 
to be found between the Yano or Prairie Bayou 
and the St. Savas, two tributary streams of the 
Colorado; are at war with the Spaniards; warmly 




AND MONOGRAPHS 





94 


NATCHITOCHES 




attached to the Americans, and extremely 
anxious to come under their protection; are a 
shrewd and comparatively an enlightened 
people and remarkably honest. 

Whacoes — population 350 to 400, number of 
warriors 70 to 80; live on the river Brasos; 
build their huts of coarse grass in form of a cone; 
occupying a beautiful and fertile prairie; 
raise corn, beans, and melons; are a treacherous 
and cowardly people; sometimes join the Coman- 
chees in their predatory excursions against the 
Spaniards; are connected with several other 
tribes, viz. Touwackanies, Towe-ash, and 
Witchetaws; excessively prone to stealing. 

Touwackanies — population 230 to 250; war- 
riors 50 to 60; live at a beautiful spring of 
water which discharges into the river Trinity 
from the west side; are essentially the same as 
the Whacoes. 

Towe-ash and Whitchetaws — These, it is prob- 
able will come within the United States by the 
late Spanish treaty; live on Red river about 
1200 miles above Natchitoches; occupy each 
bank, vis a vis, are the same people; population 
of each village from 5 to 600; number of warriors 
100 to 120; they cultivate the earth, but fre- 
quently abandon their hamlets in the winter and 
pursue the Buffaloe. 

Tonkawas — population 15 to 1600; warriors 
350; these are erratic; live between the Brasos 
and the Colorado, in and about the latitude of 
St. Antonio; are friendly with the Spaniards, 
and at war with their Indian enemies, are more 
warlike than their neighbours generally; use 
rifles; are remarkable for their horsemanship. 




INDIAN NOTES 



NOTES 


95 


Carrankawas — these are emphatically canni- 
bals; population from 650 to 700; warriors 150; 
they occupy the mouths of the Brasos and of the 
beautiful bayou Los Buros, and the intervening 
country; they are almost as numerous, and de- 
rive from the numerous little water courses 
which intersect the low lands they inhabit, an 
almost impenetrable fastness; they are friendly 
with the Spaniards from whom they obtain some 
scanty but necessary supplies, and hostile to 
all other human beings; are cowardly, treach- 
erous and cruel, and invariably EAT their 
prisoners; are large men and of light complex- 
ions; a poor and miserable race; subsist mostly 
on alligators; build their huts of deer skins. 

Kite hies — population 130 to 150; warriors 35 
to 40; live on a small branch of the river Trinity; 
raise corn, &c; are roguish set but 
prodigious cowards. 

Caddo s — population 5 to 600; warriors 120; 
live on Red river near the state line of Lousiana; 
the treaty line will divide their lands; they are a 
warlike people, descended from a nation origi- 
nally called Texas, but this name by means of 
numerous ramifications has lost its ancient pre- 
eminence. The five following tribes are of the 
same origin: Anadauquas, Nacadochetes, St. 
Pedros, Nabadachoes, and Texas, these, to- 
gether with several other small tribes of the pro- 
vince, are under the uncontrolled influence of 
the Caddo chief, who is a remarkably shrewd and 
sensible fellow; he has been much caressed by the 
agency at Natchitoches, but still retains strong 
Spanish predilections; he could probably com- 
mand 500 warriors; but his tributaries are less 
warlike than his own people. 




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96 


NATCH ITOCHE S 




A nadauquas— population 120 to 130; war- 
riors 30; live on the Angaline about 50 miles 
N. W. from Nacogdoches. 

Nacadochetes — population 150; warriors 40; 
live on the Angaline about 60 miles from Nacog- 
doches. 

St. Pedros — population 130; warriors 30; 
live on Netches, 40 miles W. from Nacogdoches. 

Naradachoes — population 100; warriors 20; 
live near St. Pedros. 

Texas — population 150; warriors 30; live on 
Netches, 45 miles from Nocogdoches. The 
five preceding tribes are essentially the same 
people; live some in log and some in grass built 
cabins; are generally roguish and cowardly. 

Eyish — this is a remnant of a tribe, consist- 
ing of not more than 50 souls, who are scattered 
amongst and intermarried with the neighbour- 
ing tribes. 

Bidies — population 175 to 180; warriors 40 
to 50; live on the river Trinity, about 40 miles 
below St. Antonio road; these are a peculiar 
people; speak a language different from all their 
neighbors; their origin is not known; they inter- 
marry with the Conshattes and are under their 
control. 

Eynies — these are dispersed and intermingled 
with other tribes of the vicinity. 

Baluxes — population 100; warriors 25; live 
on a branch of the Netches, 40 miles S. of 
Nacogeoches; are a peaceable and harmless 
people. 

Conshattes — population 350; warriors 80; 
live on Trinity, 120 miles S. of Nacogdoches; 
trade to St. Antonio and to Galveston; are a 
brave and enterprising people; descended from 




INDIAN NOTES 



NOTES 


97 


the Creeks; migrated to their present abode 
about the period of the American revolution; are 
hospitable and friendly to Americans. 

Aalabamas — population, 320; warriors, 75; 
live on waters of Netches, 40 miles above its 
mouth, descended from the Creeks, are similar 
in all respects to their brethren the Conshattes; 
being more contiguous to, they sometimes trade 
to Nachitoches — both these tribes are much 
attached to the Americans. 

Kaways — This is a people with whom I am 
acquainted only by information derived from the 
Comanches and some few traders who have 
seen large parties of them; their summer resi- 
dence is probably in high northern latitudes in- 
asmuch as they trade with the British North 
Western Company; they descend into the 
country occupied by the Yamparacks and Tena- 
ways in the winter, allured perhaps by the 
Buff aloe and the greater mildness of the climate; 
there are probably 2000 souls of this tribe. 

Seraticks — this tribe, like the preceding one, 
migrates from the north in the fall season — they 
are connected with and speak the same language 
as the Lapans — have probably 1800 to 200[0] 
souls. 

19. See the personal letter from the Auditor 
to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Septem- 
ber 16, 1905, which is attached to the document 
itself. 

20. Indian vocabularies were the major part 
of the materials furnished Jefferson by Sibley 
(Jefferson to J. S. Johnston, op. cit.) and regu- 
lar vocabulary blanks were forwarded to him 
from Washington (Jefferson to Claiborne, 
May 26, 1805, Jefferson Papers, vol. 150; 




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98 


NATCHITOCHES 




Sibley to Jefferson, August 9, 1805, idem, 
vol. 151). By the end of the summer of 1805, 
only the Caddo vocabulary had been collected; 
but hopes were entertained by the indefatigable 
Sibley that others would soon be forthcoming. 
" Caddo, " said he, "is esteemed the most 
antient language and now used by all the smaller 
tribes." (Sibley to Jefferson, August 27, 1805, 
idem, vol. 152). Perhaps it was, as Professor 
Cox asserts, his "exuberant imagination" that 
led him to make many untrustworthy state- 
ments. His conclusions were often very hastily 
reached and many are the instances of his form- 
ing erroneous opinions. Thus he informed 
Jefferson that from the best account he could 
obtain he had decided that the "Cances language 
is spoken by the Indians on the waters that fall 
into the Western Ocean. " Towards the middle 
of December, 1805, Sibley sent to Washington 
the vocabulary of the Natchitoches language 
(Sibley to Jefferson, December 14, 1805, idem, 
vol. 154). 

21. Presumably, the John S. Lewis of later 
mention in the journal. 

22. Thomas Freeman. For an account of 
his expedition up the Red river in 1806 and of 
the manuscript journal describing it, see 
Thwaites, R. G., Early Western Travels, vol. 
xvn, pp. 61, 66, et seq. It was the third of the 
notable series planned by Jefferson, a series of 
which the Lewis and Clark: Up the Missouri and 
Beyond, and the Dunbar: Up the Wachita, were 
respectively the first and second. Of ^ his 
wonderful exploring plans, Jefferson had this to 
say: "We shall delineate with correctness the 
great arteries of this great country; those who 




INDIAN NOTES 



NOTES 


99 


come after us will extend the ramifications as 
they become acquainted with them, and fill up 
the canvas we begin." (Jefferson to Dunbar, 
May 25, 1805, Jefferson Papers, vol. 150) The 
original idea was that the party that went up 
the Red river should come down the Arkansas 
(Jefferson to Claiborne, May 26, 1805, Jefferson 
Papers, vol.150) ; but the presence of the seceding 
Osages on the latter stream and the difficulty of 
transferring baggage from one stream to another 
forced a return by the Red (Jefferson to Dunbar, 
May 25, 1805, idem). Of the Freeman expedi- 
tion of 1806, Cox declares that it was "the last 
formal expedition until 13 years had passed." 
(The Exploration of the Lousiana Frontier, 
1803-1806, American Historical Association 
Report, 1904, p. 174). 

23. Thomas Linnard. Apparently William 
Reibelt had been selected for the post; but his 
long delay in starting for Natchitoches had 
made it Dearborn's "indispensible duty to 
rely no longer" on him "and to make another 
appointment. "(Jefferson to William Reibelt, 
February 3, 1807, Jefferson Papers, vol. 164). 
Linnard had, as a matter of fact, had charge of 
the factory at Natchitoches "since its estab- 
lishment." (See Letter of Dearborn's, Feb- 
ruary 2, 1807). Jefferson expressed the hope 
that Claiborne would be able to get Reibelt 
something better than an Indian factory. 

24. For the general location of the Caddo 
country, see map compiled by Herbert E. 
Bolton, entitled, "Map of Texas and Adjacent 
Regions in the Eighteenth Century" (Univer- 
sity of California Map Series, no. 2). 




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100 


NATCHITOCHES 




25. The Indian's conception of the ade- 
quacy of a pecuniary indemnity for a blood loss 
is so nearly identical with the wergeld of the 
early Germans that it seems not out of place 
to remark here on the many resemblances 
between the customs of the North American 
aborigines and those of which Tacitus so 
elaborately discoursed in his famous Germania. 
Compare, for example, the early German love of 
gambling with the Indian devotion to ball- 
playing as detailed on p. 11. 

26. More correctly "strouding", a kind of 
coarse blanketing that was much used in the 
Indian trade. 

27. A roll of tobacco, "formed by placing the 
moist prepared leaves together in large handfuls, 
and winding about them grasses or strips of 
fibrous wood ..." (Century Dictionary). 

28. Probably intended for "bragas." 

29. Zebulon Pike, who, according to his own 
account, was then at San Antonio (Coues, 
Elliott. The Expeditions of Zebulon Mont- 
gomery Pike, vol. ii, p. 698) . 

30. This bears out what Hulbert affirms that 
the trading-path was always kept distinct from 
the war-path. 

31. Three days subsequent to the making of 
this entry, Dr Sibley wrote as follows to his son, 
Samuel Hopkins Sibley: 

" . . . My prospect of coming to Carolina 
is now less than it was, the Indian Chiefs will 
not consent to come with me, till our affairs 
with Spain are settled, that they may have the 
extent of the rightful jurisdiction of each govern- 
ment, but they will come as soon as that is done. 
I have lately had considerable difficulty with 




INDIAN NOTES 



! 



NOTES 


101 


some of my Indians, two white men killed two 
Indians of different tribes and made their 
Escape, an Indian has killed a white man & fled 
to the Spaniards, a party of Indians killed two 
women of a tribe at peace with them, it has 
given me much trouble to prevent them from 
going to war, they were at war, I made them 
make peace or rather made peace for them. 

"I am informed (though not officially) that 
Governor Claiborne the Governor of this 
Territory is removed & Daniel Clark (whom I 
enclosed you a letter to) . is appointed in his 
place, they are I believe both of them per- 
sonally my friends, though I have openly dis- 
approved of some parts of Gov. Claibornes 
administration, he has become extremely un- 
popular in this Territory except amongst a 
party of small number, his removal is certainly 
a wise executive measure. General Wilkinsons 
name is made a free use of through this country 
& on all the waters of the Mississippi. I 
should think the same reasons would urge the 
Executive to dismiss him that operated to the 
dismissal of General Claiborne, who I still 
think an Honest man, a different opinion is 
expressed by many, with respect to the General, 
I was always more enclined to laugh at the fuss 
that both of them made about Col. Bur than 
to feel serious alarms. 

"... Capt Pike, Doctor Robinson & 
Party arrived here this day from the interior of 
New Spain . . . 

"I have lately had much trouble amongst 
my Indians. Some white men have killed 
Indians, & they have retaliated. Some tribes 
of Indians have been committing depredations 




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102 


NATCHITOCHES 




on others in my agency. My business is to 
keep them all at peace and with the white 
inhabitants — there are bad men amongst all 
people red as well as white that no laws can 
restrain." (John Sibley to Samuel H. Sibley, 
dated Natchitoches, June 30, 1807, Sibley MSS.) 

There is a slight discrepancy in date between 
Sibley's record and Pike's. According to the 
the latter, the arrival of Pike and Robinson at 
Natchitoches occurred on July first (Coues, The 
Expeditions of Zebulon Montgomery Pike, 
vol. n, pp. 712-715). 

32. This account of the Hietans, or Co- 
rn anches, is much fuller than that in the His- 
torical Sketches (American State Papers, 
Indian Affairs, vol. i, pp. 723-724). Stoddard, 
in Sketches of Louisiana, p. 486, mentions the 
visit made by the Hietans to Natchitoches in 
1807. He says, however, that they were " clean- 
ly in their persons and dress, particularly in 
their cookery . . ." which seems scarcely 
consonant with the infrequency of bathing to 
which Sibley refers. 

32. See tie facsmile of Sibley's notes, pi. i, 

A-C. 




INDIAN NOTES 



SIBLEY— NATCHITOCHES 



^»^r^|^ — 

$L**<^ M^j lfh~& «^,~~>v 



FACSIMILE OF NOTES BY SIBLEY ON THE HIETAN OR COMANCHE. 
APPENDED TO HIS JOURNAL 



SIBLEY— NATCHITOCHES 



NOTES BY SIBLEY — CONTINUED 



SIBLEY — NATCHITOCHES 



NOTES BY SIBLEY— CONCLUDED 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS % 

0 021 230 747 6 



